


Stars rewritten

by mysteriol



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Drama, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, Post-Final Fantasy VII, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 128,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24718675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysteriol/pseuds/mysteriol
Summary: CHAPTER 27 - FINALE - UPDATE. In an alternate universe where Cloud is the university’s popular, rising star jock, and Aerith is the campus sweetheart on a music scholarship, Fate grants the star-crossed lovers ill-fated in their past lives another shot at happily-ever-after.Will a chance meeting in this life finally allow them to rewrite the stars? [ Cloud x Aerith, post-Compilation, AU ]“How do you suggest you pay me back then?”“Ice cream…and something else I think you might find quite favourable...”She had definitely meant kissing him.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Comments: 550
Kudos: 460





	1. reunion

**Author's Note:**

> A/n:
> 
> Honestly this is more of an experimental AU CxA fic - testing the waters at this point to how open you guys are. If AU isn’t your cup of tea, I urge you to refrain from proceeding any further lest you end up burning my fic in flame reviews LOL.
> 
> HUGE DISCLAIMER: for the purpose of this fic, FFVII OG and Remake have happened – assuming Square kebab-ed off Aerith similarly and Compilation ends with CxA never getting their happy ending. Hence I thought – what if in another AU (Reincarnation!? A replica of the past produced into a future space? A parallel universe running alongside Compilation?), CxA gets another shot at their happily-ever-after? I didn’t want to entirely segregate my AU from canon, so I’m going to imagine it such that CxA in this fic subconsciously inherits their past lives’ memories/personalities from OG/Remake. 
> 
> Okok – that’s just me trying to weedle my way out of this time-space confounding logic . I’m not paid big bucks like Nomura or the Marvel: Avengers people spending hours on quantum physics and the likes to back up time-space theories etc so interpret it as you will. 
> 
> Anyway… Here goes.  
> myst-san

**_\----- x Introduction_ **

It’s clockwork now.

Of late every night, he wakes up with sweat beading down the sides of his temples, his hands clutching his chest aching with an inexplicable sensation of the dullest ache, and his aquamarine eyes darting in a fervid manner to search the time of the clock. Two in the morning, and the stars are still brightly shining outside his bedroom windows. These are gorgeous nights, but they’re lost on Cloud Strife as he sits static, apprehending his recent nightmares.

Lately, all he sees is a faceless girl he cannot put a name to, kneeling at a pristine white altar, clasping her hands together in silent prayer. He cannot make out the features of her face – it’s always shrouded in a grey fog. All he sees is her amber hair braided neatly down the length of her back. She’s wearing a red coat, and there’s a pastel pink ribbon on her hair crown.

In his dreams, Cloud remembers feeling panic, helplessness, and pain altogether colliding into his chest in one maelstrom of heartache, and he never is able to rationalize the reason why even when he awakens from slumber. But the image of a silver longsword glinting dangerously into the ghastly pale night before plummeting down into _her_ flesh, prodding through her back and then her abdomen and then leaving her completely fallen and senseless and motionless, jolts him awake each night now unfailingly with muted screams and heavy panting.

In the aftermath of his recurring dreams, Cloud fervently searches his memory in a futile attempt to identify _that_ girl. He can never see her face, but he’s pretty sure he’ll recognize a girl with amber hair braided beautifully if he ever meets her in real life. He thinks back to his blurry, adolescent days in high school growing up in Midgar, to his times spent training as a Blitzball player playing for the Zanarkand Raiders team, but ultimately – his mind draws a blank. He doesn’t remember ever chancing upon any girl remotely resembling _her_ , so he doesn’t know who exactly has been haunting his dreams.

It’s a cruel time-loop to be put in – and he’s relived it everyday, ever since his 21st birthday when he’s moved away from his home in Midgar to university life here in Zanarkand. He wonders if this is the price to pay for trading a life of ordinary from his hometown slums, to pursue undergraduate studies in a different city where the sheen of everything is shinier and more promising. The temptation had been irresistible – what with the university offering him a residential spot closer to the Colosseum where his Blitzball team trains. 

It had been a rash decision a year ago, but one he hadn’t regretted since. He had packed up his bags, bade goodbye to his mom Claudia and now finds himself here, holed up in a four-bedroom apartment with three other university mates snoring their nights away. The move and sacrifice have paid off - he’s earned his spot as Zanarkand Raiders’ youngest rising star player; his tremendous potential talked about immensely in all of Gaia’s sports news media.

Cloud shuffles on his feet and decides to brew himself a glass of milk. _Another night, another nightmare._ He should be so accustomed to this. And what bliss for him to have to wake up in another four hours to get to Blitzball training – making a mad dash out of campus before sunrise, then jumping on the local bus back to attend a 10am morning lecture. Such are university days – bless them.

He moves to the kitchen table and hovers the drink near his lips. With one lazy eye, he glances down to see a book his roommate Barret’s left opened on the table. The pages are filled with pictures of females… that, well, and a small number of males. He can’t help but let out a sigh – Barret will die before he admits he’s looking for a girlfriend; has been looking for the past 1 year they’ve been housemates in university. Doesn’t help that the big guy’s constantly envious of their other housemate Cid’s campus romance with Shera. Or their fourth housemate Vincent’s courtship with Lucrecia.

_Well, Barret forgets I’m single, too._ Cloud thinks casually, before he picks up the book in his fingers.

He realizes, instantly, it’s their university yearbook.

Curiosity piqued, Cloud finds himself flipping through the pages. Perhaps spurred on by sheer intrigue or altruistic motivation to help Barret find a suitable date, he’s meticulously scanning the faces of the student cohort displayed, sorted via faculty and year groups, as if searching…searching for something plausibly fuelled by more personal reasons.

Cloud doesn’t know _what,_ though.

But as the minutes go by and his eyelids start to feel heavier by the second, he accidentally cuts himself in the finger with the sharp edge of the paper. Cloud winces – paper cuts are small but nasty, and potentially troublesome for a Blitzball player whose number of goals depend on their fingers.

A trickle of blood spills onto the paper, and he knows he’s better clean it up before Barret throttles him the next day.

…But all intentions to wipe evidence off vanishes into thin air when his eyes settle on a certain face amidst the blur of unfamiliar strangers on the page.

He brushes his other unhurt thumb across the photograph, inching forth for a closer look.

His heart slams into his chest.

It is unmistakable.

Amber hair, braided down the sides of her shoulder. Set against that porcelain skin of her heart-shaped face.

But it is not that detail that strikes him like electricity – it is the way she’s tied a pink ribbon down the length of her braid, knotting it exactly the way he remembers in his dream. It’s the certainty that clams his heart as he examines her face.

…It’s her. It _has to_ be her.

He reads the caption beneath the photograph.

_Aerith Gainsborough, Music Faculty._

He exhales, loudly.

Call it intuition, call it crazy.

But as Cloud traces the outline of her photographed face, every intricate detail seems to match the nuances of his dreams. If there’s even a minuscule shred of hope that this is the girl he’s been looking for, he needs to know.

The best part, he realizes, as he clenches his fist in renewed vigor, is that,

_She’s here, somewhere._

* * *

**_\-----x chapter One: Reunion_ **

Barret was not having it. He was sulking, grumpy-faced, and made no effort to conceal it.

He punched a heavy fist into the cafeteria table he was lunching with his housemates. It was the middle of the week- the only day the four of them had a common break from their individual lectures. The big man was letting his hunger combined with his frustration from a whole morning of not understanding his professor’s lecture eat him up. He was a postgraduate student in Mechanical Engineering, and was a thorough stickler for stellar academics record like Vincent and Cid when it came to excelling in their graduate course work.

He was in his usual foul mood, looking for people or things to pick at, and so Cloud, the youngest of them, was an easy target.

“You ruined my yearbook,” Barrett accused the spiky blonde-haired man, who was still idly sipping his usual iced milk while simultaneously trying to finish his Life Sciences undergraduate tutorial work. “Ya think I don’t see that blood in my book, Spikey!? That gonna prove it’s damn right yer DNA!”

Cloud opened a lazy eye, and uttered his usual monosyllable, “Hn.”

He had no time to bother with Barret. If he wasn’t going to hand in his work on time, he was going to fail his damn module. He hadn’t moved all the way to Zanarkand only to get expelled – he would never hear the end of it from his mom. Beside him, Cid and Vincent were engaged in an intense academic discussion of the ethics behind human cloning.

“And why are we here all the way out at the music faculty having lunch?” Barret gestured animatedly to the lunch crowd around them, “Made us walk a bloody hundred yards out from Engineering faculty to this cafeteria?”

“Spike, for once I agree with Barret,” Cid ruffled the youngest roommate’s hair, much to Cloud’s annoyance – he hated anyone who dared touch his preciously gelled hair he spent ages in the morning making it stand the way he wanted. Cid poked his fork into his salmon, chewing it down, “Plus the food in this cafeteria isn’t that spectacular. @*(#&*@(&(, of all places, why’d you bring us here?”

Cloud shrugged carelessly, “It was my turn to choose the venue today. You guys said so.”

“&@*(&*(#@ Spike, nobody teach you not to talk back at your seniors?” Cid draped a rough, but affectionate arm around Cloud’s shoulder, “You’re the only undergraduate here among us and you’re gonna need all our help you can get if you wanna graduate on time.” He winked.

Cloud rolled his eyes. He knew Cid was blatantly blackmailing him – but he had a point. The older man was an Astrophysics postgraduate student, what with his mad fascination for cosmos and space and celestial bodies and all things that could fly. Cid also happened to be a damn smart ass, and Cloud needed his expertise to proofread his assignments.

“Stop threatening the boy,” Vincent spoke flatly, but a sinister smirk touched his lips, “he’s only twenty-one.”

“Like you’re much older,” Cloud snapped.

“Mind your manners, teenager,” Vincent reminded, “and I’m younger than most …but smart enough for a postgrad.” He wasn’t lying – guy who constantly dressed like he was in the gothic age had been on the Dean’s list for the last 2 consecutive years as an Anthropology postgraduate student.

Vincent and Cloud proceeded to have a staring contest for a few seconds until Cid broke it up, with a wave of his hand. “So kiddo, why are we here again? Barret has a point. We’re definitely not here to watch you play Blitzball, nor are the girls here in this faculty exceptionally good-looking – don’t mention it to my Shera – and the food honestly is $&*(#@&*(--”

“Wait a minute, Spikey,” Barret slung a heavy arm around Cloud’s shoulder, ignoring his extremely annoyed look, “Are you here…for a girl?”

“…Seriously?” Often calm and chill Vincent had arched an eyebrow.

“Here?” Cid gestured wildly around them, “Like, Cloud, you crushin’ on a girl from music faculty?”

Cloud’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. He was ignoring his cheeks turning ever so slightly a hint of pink. He never liked it when his older housemates ganged up to tease him.

“Leave me alone,” he deadpanned. He hated to think that he had been so easily figured out.

…It had been true. He had invited them here all the way out from their main campus to this much isolated music faculty building, hoping…hoping for a chance…

Honestly, Cloud wasn’t sure what he was hoping for.

…Hoping he would bump into that girl who had been manifesting in his dreams like strange visions leaving him breathless and embarrassingly in near un-manly tears whenever he woke from sleep?

Surely it was a crazy idea – it sounded ridiculous. Cloud had never seen her face – so why was he sure the girl in his dreams was this…this _Aerith?_

_Still,_ his fingers clenched around the pen between his fingers, _it’s worth a try._

He had been watching silently– watching every female that had walked across the corridors of the music faculty. He had shoved his sandwich in his mouth pretending to busy himself with lunch and work, and at this point, his housemates’ company served as a pretext for him being all the way out here away from the mainstream university crowd without looking out of place. The music students were known to exist in their own world filled with their unique language separate from the entity of the campus cohort.

Beside him, Cid was providing live narration for every female within his peripheral vision. “Blond haired chick, clarinet player. Five o’ clock, not too bad. How about that lady at nine o’clock with the flute – she’s got nice hair. ”

“Gonna tell on ya, Cid!!!” Barret was bellowing. He was referring to betraying his chum to Shera.

“Tch, doing you a favor, big man – recommending girls to you.”

“No need your help, thanks!!!”

Cloud sighed, shoving his fingers into his eardrums. He had no idea how he had survived a year living with these loud people…except Valentine, but the latter could be equally nasty, if he wanted to in his silent, killer manner.

From a distance, he heard high decibel screams. He looked up and saw Jessie and her clique of female friends from the Social Sciences faculty all running towards him.

Cloud paled considerably. _Shit._

He was NOT in the mood now to deal with fangirls and the likes. Especially one like Jessie.

“Oh my god, there he is, ladies! Blitzball star player of the year! Cloud!! Yoo hoo!” She whistled, and was immediately taking quicker strides to reach his table.

Cloud instantly swallowed his entire sandwich in one gulp and stood up, slinging his bag behind his shoulders. “Sorry, gotta go.”

Barret was sulking again, “I hate all yer stupid fangirls, Spike.”

“Oooh, someone’s jealous.” Cid said in a sing-song voice. He was rewarded with a punch in the chest by the bigger man.

“Jessie never lets go, huh?” Vincent cracked open a sleepy eye to watch the girls swarming in now. He watched Cloud packed his stuff hastily.

“Nope, not at all.” Cloud remarked dryly, and gave a small nod. “ ‘Later.”

He dashed off, leaving the remaining three men to exchange glances. They would never admit it, but they had grown overtime to be over-protective of their youngest roommate like big brother to the young. They knew how Cloud didn’t excel in his studies easily, and had barely scraped past into Zanarkand University with his meager grades. It was highly out of the merits of him being Gaia’s rising Blitzball star player that had earned him a spot on campus.

All those late nights they spent with the spikey-haired boy assisting him in his theses, helping him with his assignments, tutoring him… Cloud was definitely a pain in the ass, but sometimes they couldn’t help feel sorry for how he never had a chance to lead a normal life as a student without the constant limelight of being a professional athlete shining on him.

“He’s going to crack one day.” Vincent mused, watching the disappearing silhouette of the younger boy.

“Not a matter of how, but when.” Cid chugged his cup of black coffee into his mouth. “All that pressure, expectations, screaming fangirls, cameras flashing – don’t know how he does it.”

“We gotta protect Spike boy at all costs, yer know.” Barrett thought out loud, strangely quieter.

“High time he gets a girlfriend, settle down.” Cid chuckled, and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket.

“PUT THAT THING AWAY, YOU IDIOT! You’re gonna get us all expelled!!!”

* * *

Aerith wasn’t paying her surroundings much attention as she made her way to the faculty’s practice room. 

She was humming an improvised tune under her breath as she glanced at her music manuscript, trying to figure out the next part of her composition. She wanted to ace this Composition module badly. She bit her wooden pencil between her lips before poking small, subtle holes in her draft papers in an attempt to wrap her head around the many voices around her head hopefully translating to a melody on paper.

_Maybe if I change the key to minor? Raise the flat here…ah, but it doesn’t harmonize with the bass part,_ she thought deeply, before scrubbing her work off with a rubber. Her violin case slung comfortably on her shoulder.

She decided she was going to have to take the manuscript back to her apartment and let her younger housemate have a listen. If Yuffie screamed and squealed in delight, it was a fat ‘yes’. If she rounded her eyes and looked confused, it was a thorough rejection.

Aerith laughed inwardly. Yuffie was only 16 – but she was the youngest and smartest genius Aerith knew who had gotten accepted into university at such a young age. Yuffie double-majored in Physics and Maths; her IQ and intelligence were on par with undergraduates much older than her. She spent her free time charging people on campus a discreet price for doing their assignments and essays, and there was no doubt she was smart, cunning, business-savvy, and put on zero front about constantly chasing after the glory of money. 

In the past year sharing an apartment with the younger girl, Aerith had grown incredibly fond of her and treated her like a younger sister. 

Aerith was jerked out of her reverie when something caused her to abruptly halt in her tracks. Her trained ears had picked up something.

Were there… girls screaming in the distance?

“Oh my god!”

“C’mon, just two minutes of your time!?”

“Corner him!!”

“He’s there!”

“Don’t let him get out of your sight!”

“Jessie, grab him!!”

Confused at the ruckus but not being able to see anything within sight, Aerith chalked it down to yet another day at university. Although high-decibels feminine screams were definitely NOT in the ordinary range of a typical day, especially in the life of a music student.

Aerith turned the knob to the music practice room and stepped in, breathing in the familiar scent of piano wood and violin rosin. She loved this place – it was her second home away from home.

She stood there for a second, simply savoring the moment of solitude. She looked down at her papers, sighing.

_Let me sing this through in my head one more time and figure this out first._

* * *

“Cloud! Get back here!” Jessie’s shrill voice was piercing through the corridor.

Cloud was on fight or flight mode. That damn pesky girl never knew when to give up! When she was in her hounding mode, she gave no end to the chase. All she wanted was a date with him – all _he_ wanted was to disappear into thin air from the sight of her and those crazy fan girls.

So he ran, and ran.

He had no idea where his legs were taking him – instincts had kicked in and he had taken off wherever they brought him.

Every room looked the same, every hallway – dammit! He was unfamiliar to this faculty building; everything looked like a labyrinth of maze.

His eyes caught sight of an open door down a few yards and his eyes glimmered in hope.

_Life savior!_

He pushed his way into the room, at full speed.

“Oww!” A voice not belonging to him cried out.

He froze, his mind racing. _SHIT!_

Before his brain could register the reality of his actions, he had knocked into someone apparently standing by the door at full impact, sending the victim, and himself almost flying halfway across the room….

...except he was a trained athlete, and his quick mind screamed at him to grab and catch hold of whoever he was potentially going to bodily injure grievously to prevent a painful fall.

His arms went around his victim’s waist; he agilely shoved himself underneath so he would cushion most of the impact – and with a loud _BHAM!_ – both of them had tumbled onto the floor, him lying supine beneath. 

He winced and saw stars all over. “Fuck.”

_That hurt like shit._ Not even his Blitzball coach pummeling him with a hundred balls in his chest hammered hard this way. He wondered if he cracked a bone this time round – it would put him weeks out of practice and that was the last thing he needed during Blitzball season.

“Are you okay!?” A voice shook him out of his thoughts. Something melodious, a tone so serene – he knew it to be a female’s immediately.

_Crap, now I’m going to be sued and expelled for bodily injuring a female college student._

“S-Sorry,” Cloud hadn’t realized he had shut his eyes in sheer panic at the thought of being expelled, “That was my fault.”

He heard a bubbly laugh. “I think I’m more worried about you – are you okay?”

Something about her voice turned some wheels in him he didn’t know existed.

He opened an eye and found himself staring up into pools of smiling emeralds.

“You must be in a rush to use the practice room, but I thought I booked it,” she said sheepishly, still on her knees as she contemplated the man before her apparently still dazed, “You don’t look okay.”

“I-I’m fine.” He blurted out.

Nope. He knew, he was far from fine.

_Shit. That hair._

She was now leaning forward, resting a palm against his forehead. “Are you hurt? Can I help?”

He noticed she wore her hair in a long braid down the side of her shoulder. 

He looked closer, heart thudding irrationally.

No sign of pink ribbon, though. Couldn’t be sure.

Still.. That shade of amber hair.

“Hello?” She called out again, waving before his vision.

He snapped out of it, and his cheeks tainted in abrupt embarrassment at the gravity of his situation. Cloud hurriedly looked around at the mess he had left in his wake of brashness – the impact had caused her items and assignments to spill all over the floor. He sprang into action to collect her belongings, obviously apologetic, “Sorry about that.”

She contemplated him – his casual T-shirt, jeans, sneakers… and that Blitzball peeking from his transparent gym bag. Definitely a jock – and definitely _not_ from this faculty.

“You don’t look like you’re from here… Why are you here?” She asked.

He scanned her items as he tidied them neatly in his hands. It was a quick sweep of his eyes – messy scrawling of musical notes on manuscript, multiple violin concerto sheet music, half-written composition drafts…and then his eyes caught a messy assortment of colorful flowers sprawled all over a few inches away. They looked like they had been flung out of a neat bouquet, and now lay forlornly onto the floor.

Cloud winced, guilt washing over him, “Your flowers.”

“Oh,” she lit up with a cheerful smile as she tidied them in her hands, “don’t worry about that, I’ll re-arrange it again.”

He handed her back her music notes and papers, awkwardly sliding his hands into his pockets, “Hope that’s all of them.”

She smiled, “Thanks.”

Her cheeriness was infectious – it made him relax more comfortably.

_Say something, idiot! Even if she’s a stranger. Talk about the weather!_

“Uh,” he looked around the place, “Nice room.”

“Oh, yeah,” she brightened, “this is where I usually practise.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Right… I would guess. Music student, right?”

She nodded, gesturing to the violin case sitting on the floor that had also been flung across halfway during their collision, “Violinist.”

He blanched, “Shit, I hope the instrument’s not ruined.”

She giggled, waved her hand nonchalantly, “Oh don’t worry, it’s an empty case. I sent my violin off for re-servicing just a moment ago.”

He nearly died inside of relief. He couldn’t imagine having to fork out that amount of Gil out of his hefty school fees to pay for a music instrument. His Mom would kill him and send him a check straight for hell.

“So, you haven’t answered me. What are you doing all the way here, non-music student?” There was light teasing in her eyes that he didn’t miss.

He shrugged, “Uh. I got lost.”

“And…you started running here at full speed out of leisure?” She arched a teasing eyebrow.

He stared at her face; he knew it had to be her…

He needed to know.

“I…I’m Cloud,” He nodded mildly, “Cloud Strife, from Life Sciences.”

She grinned, “Aerith. Aerith Gainsborough, music.”

_IknewitIknewitIknewitIknewit._

There was a short pause, and she moved two feet closer towards him.

“Those eyes,” she breathed, “You’ve got such unique eyes.”

“Oh,” he instinctively took a step back from her, “My mom jokes about it; says it’s ‘cause I spend too much time underwater playing Blitzball.”

“…So that’s where I remember your name,” her eyes gleamed in recognition, “Cloud Strife, right? Zanarkand Raiders’ youngest player, Cloud Strife?”

“Yep.”

She beamed, held out a hand. “Nice to meet you.”

He looked at it, as if contemplating whether human contact would destroy his soul and ruin his bravado act. 

She seemed to see right through his discomfort. She dropped her hand to her side, and smiled, anyway. “Here, I’m guessing you’re hiding from your fans – those I heard screaming earlier down the corridor. They must be looking for you. You hide here while I get going. Anyway, I was getting hungry for a bite so I’ll go.”

He opened his mouth to protest. She stopped him.

“No one will find you here, Cloud, don’t worry. You’ll be safe here.”

“Uh…” Cloud hesitated, but the thought of Jessie and her girls not leaving him alone for the afternoon wasn’t something he wanted to tolerate today, “If you say so.”

She smiled. “I’ll…see you again sometime?”

His only response was to mutely stare at her.

_Smart move, Strife, very smart. Well played._

His cool composure elicited another small laugh from her lips. It sounded like music to his ears.

She looked at the flower bouquet in her hands.

He couldn’t help but ask, “From your boyfriend?”

_Really, Strife!? Of all the one million questions you can ask, you ask THAT?_

She shook her head, “Flower delivery service. I run a sideline business. You want flowers, I’m the person. These were from a customer who wanted an exchange. She didn’t like the flowers her boyfriend chose, sadly.”

He shrugged, “Must be crazy busy for you – juggling everything.”

A soft smile touched her lips, “Hey, you too, right? Blitzball and university work. Don’t know how you do it.”

Despite his awkwardness, he managed a snort, “Don’t have a life, if that’s what you mean.”

She studied him, then something lit in her eyes.

She plucked a flower from the bouquet between her fingers, and took a step forward.

All air whooshed out of him at her near distance. He blamed it on his aversion towards strangers initiating human contact. 

“What are you..” He trailed off, all act of his previous bravado dissipating the moment her fingers touched his shoulder.

He was very much aware of his usual personal space being invaded…by her.

That possible stranger in his dreams every night. (He still wasn’t a hundred percent sure, though.)

His body stilled. His eyes sought the flower she had tugged into his shirt pocket.

It was a yellow lily.

“Here, that’s for you. Think of it as a memento.” She beamed. “It’s on the house.”

“A…lily?”

“They say it symbolizes reunion. Lovers used to give each other this when they were reunited.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Fact, or fiction?”

A giggle. “Who knows?”

She gave a small wave.

He opened his mouth, as if hoping to say something. His nerves got in the way. _W-Wait, Aerith._

“Maybe…we’ll catch each other again?” She said almost too casually, but her eyes were dancing.

He silently nodded, and the last thing he saw was the back of her violin case before she disappeared into the corridor crowd.

Something pricked at his heart – Cloud didn’t know what to make out of it.

He picked up the stalk of flower between his fingers.

The yellow lily was all he could see.

**TBC**

* * *

a/n:

right now’s your chance to comment/review and tell me if this AU was a FRIGGIN BAD IDEA or hey “myst-san maybe you can continue this and take it somewhere!?”

Ahhh anyway I think you can start to see this AU shaping into a modern universe with a few Square-FF elements crossing over, what with Blitzball and Zanarkand featured from FFX. If this fic continues multi-chaptered, I might incorporate more FF elements from other series into this AU, but not sure how you guys feel about that. Everything really is experimental at this point.

Yep, I think it made more sense with Barret/Cid/Vinny’s age to make them postgraduate students instead. 😊 I can see Yuffie totally as a 16 year old child genius – she’s that kind of ninja , you go, girl! And if you’re wondering where’s Tifa, I’ll bring her in the next chapter… if I decide to continue with this fic LOL

Peace out

Myst-san


	2. petrichor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We ought to stop meeting like this, you know.”   
> She turned around, her eyes meeting striking blue ones midway amidst pouring rain.   
> It was him, and he was holding an umbrella over her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n:   
> sorry I know I said I was going to introduce Tifa here, but I wanted to spend more time developing CxA in their ship HEHE. Promise, next chapter our fist-fighter comes in, but for now… Here goes 😊 
> 
> Thanks so much for you guys’ support so far and sticking around – I’m so relieved ( you have no idea) that my AU isn’t exactly repulsive an idea to everyone. I’ll try to update this multi-chap fic on a weekly or semi-weekly basis for now as long as time and my crazy worklife permits ^^ 
> 
> And yes, there will be our favorite Turks in this fic eventually, if the fic continues ahead further.   
> Myst-san

**\-----x chapter 2: petrichor**

It looked like it was going to storm.

Aerith knew she had better hurry and make her way back to campus if she wanted to make it back to her apartment in a dry state. Slinging her violin case behind her shoulders, she bade her violin tutor farewell before taking her usual route back to university. She had made this trip countless times to and fro her tutor’s house a short distance off campus, and it really wasn’t a problem anytime getting back…except she had forgotten her umbrella today.

She eyed the ominous clouds up above and hastened her pace. The sun was still in the clear strip of sky, but the wind was sweeping across in heavier gusts now and tiny raindrops were beginning to fall. It was a matter of time before the weather brewed into a tumultuous storm, heralding the start of a dark, sluggish afternoon.

Aerith skipped past a large puddle of water and inwardly sighed at her muddied ballerina flats. And she had just bought those new shoes online the other day! All that hard-earned side income as a florist gone to waste in an instant. 

As she landed on her foot, she found herself catching her breath as a vision flashed in her head as quickly as it had dissolved. The recent fleeting memory of a spikey-blond haired man she had met only yesterday materialized in her head. Despite their brief encounter, she had found it since a hurdle to get his face out of her mind.

Aerith pinched her cheeks tight. _Get a grip, Gainsborough, you are NOT crushing on someone you’d only just met once._ She doubted they would meet again anyway, but there was something about those aquamarine eyes that had drawn her in, tugging at heartstrings within her chest…

…Especially when he had taken the yellow lily into his hands, Aerith swore she had felt an overpowering sense of déjà vu rush over her senses, as if it that tiny gesture, though ephemeral in time, had made an impression _too_ familiar for her comfort. As if they had chanced upon each other somewhere prior to yesterday’s encounter, but that would make no sense because she had no such recollection whatsoever.

 _He did mention about playing Blitzball, though_ , Aerith recalled. She took in her surroundings and noticed she was nearing her usual bus stop that would take her directly back to campus, but she had other thoughts lingering, nagging at her mind.

Lulled by a thoroughly unexpected notion, she slowed in her footsteps and started making her way towards the opposing direction. 

The Blitzball Colosseum where the Zanarkand Raiders trained was just right around the corner. The Colosseum was a venue hard to miss in the city, really – with a juggernaut Sphere sitting in the middle of the stadium that could house up to ten thousand, it was the heartbeat of Gaia.

In a world still wrought with poverty and political tension and unrest, Blitzball served as a massively popular distraction almost akin to a religion among the local folks in Gaia, both young and old. Over the last decade, the growing attention on the sport had spawned almost a cult-like generation of fans in the wake of its introduction, and Blitzball season often meant people from all over Gaia would flock to this city hosting the matches. It was now a regular, biennial megaevent that fans would painstakingly make the pilgrimage for, and that meant hotels and properties around Zanarkand were often snapped up quickly for excited spectators keen to catch a piece of the action. In such exhilarating times, the entire city would be transformed into one huge festive carnival that never sleeps.

Aerith gauged the weather and surmised she might have time for a little detour before the storm thrashed down upon the city. She wasn’t sure why she was taking the off-the-beaten path today, but an image played continuously on loop in her head as she trudged ahead. 

An image of him. _Cloud Strife, Zanarkand Raiders’ star player._

The cerulean colors of the Sphere globe up ahead came into sight, catching the last mediocre marigold rays of the sun disappearing behind hostile clouds. Between the gaps of the pine trees’ canopy and lances of the sun’s last molten-gold beams on the floor, Aerith left footprints behind among dead leaves as she advanced on her latest destination.

The Sphere gradually loomed formidably before her, its blue waves and ebbing tides forging on with dormant strength. Aerith inhaled loudly at the magnificent sight of it, awe-struck.

Unlike most of her peers whom she knew were head over heels obsessed with following the sport, Aerith had felt most of her life somewhat of a fish out of water when it came to the fanatical Blitzball world. She had devoted her time from childhood unceasingly perfecting her musicianship and craft on her instrument while simultaneously paying off her school fees and supporting her mother as a struggling florist, and the last thing she could afford on her plate was any other matter that demanded distraction.

So that provided her enough reason to be left entirely breathless at the daunting size of the Sphere. She had never seen the thing up so close - the swirling, boundless depths of cyan water dazzled and intimidated her. She peered closer and made out bursts of activity within the Sphere as a flurry of players moved with alacrity within the spherical pool.

Briefly, she wondered if _he_ was there.

There were at least twelve players in the pool training, and she could barely catch a glimpse of any spikey blond hair. They were navigating the waters too fast, too quick, too impressive – and she was blown away by their athleticism.

Thunder roared above. Aerith’s heart quickened.

It was now or never, or perhaps already too late. Did she have time to head in and take a peek? Did she dare? What would they do if they caught her trespassing? And why, _why_ , did she have this insane urge to want to look for someone whom she had barely met less than 24 hours ago?

_I do NOT have a crush. No. It’s just…_

She stopped. _Just feels like we’ve met, before._

And she didn’t know why, or where, or how. That feeling was perplexing, and she needed answers.

Aerith blinked a rain droplet that had landed on her eyelash, berating herself for not having brought an umbrella. Of all days!

She raised a hand above her hair, but it was futile to shield herself from the angry drops now drumming down. Ahead of her, she could see the players in the Sphere clearing the space from the bad weather.

She sighed – she was _so_ close!

She carefully tugged her violin case under her arm lest it got wet and estimated it would take her at least a good five minutes now to dash back to the bus stop for shelter. Even then, there was no way out avoiding a scenario of wet clothes and wet hair looking totally unkempt on her way back to campus.

Plus, Yuffie was going to kill her for showing up in their apartment dripping wet. 

In her hurry to get back en route, she had misjudged her step and tripped on a rock. Aerith muttered a silent curse (though she never inclined towards cursing, but this time she made an exception) – a slight clumsiness on her part, and all her violin sheet music in her hands in a matter of seconds had scattered all over the mud-caked road. So much rain was falling, droplets of moisture showering onto her sheet music into a soiled pile.

“No, no, no, no,” Aerith whispered in dismay. She had taken pains to mark up all her music – how was she going to salvage this mess now?

So engrossed she had been in picking up her music and gathering them, that she had not instantly noticed the rain stopped to fall over her head.

Her brows furrowed – strange, why was she momentarily dry?

A voice broke her out of her reverie.

“We ought to stop meeting like this, you know,” a familiar tone spoke from behind.

She turned around, looking up, her eyes meeting striking blue ones midway amidst pouring rain.

Her heart did a flip.

It was _him,_ and he was holding an umbrella over her.

She couldn’t read his expression – he simply looked on stoically at her, at her drenched music, at her drenched self.

“Cloud? What are you doing here?” She stood up, startled.

“I could say the same,” he narrowed his eyes, “what are _you_ doing here?”

She offered a sheepish look. How would she begin to explain she was not a crazy stalker wanting to look for him in the Colosseum? She had better cook up a reason in less than five seconds if she wanted him to believe her excuse.

“I…got lost,” she lied, giving her most believable smile, “I was on my way back from my music lesson, and I forgot my way.”

He shot her a sceptical look, “You…got lost and forgot your way?”

“Ah, yep,” she shook her head, waving a dismissing hand, “Never mind me now. If you won’t mind, will you please try and get me out of here?”

He surveyed her wet state, the umbrella in his hands still hovering above the both of them.

“I could just leave you here on your own, you know,” he drawled, slipping his other hand into his pocket.

“Heartless,” she stuck out her tongue, then took a step forth towards him so she now stood under the umbrella fully. “I’ll pay you.”

Reflex kicked in from her nearness and he shuddered, but did not move.

“Really? How much?” Cloud took in the sight of her – what with her wet hair falling out of her ponytail in stray tumbles, her fingers clinging on to her soaked music as if they meant the world to her, and with her violin case tugged uncomfortably under her arm so she could keep it dry from the weather… she, she was such an arresting mess.

 _Wait,_ his heart stopped, _I did not just think of her as… arresting._

No, no, he was not smitten with someone whom he had just met. Not even if she was the plausible human who had appeared in his dreams almost every night for a year now.

“Cheapskate,” she poked him in the shoulder. He took a step back, unaccustomed to human touch, even hers. She seemed to notice, but her eyes did not lose its shine in the rain, “How about a date?”

He coughed, “What?”

 _What did she say, a date?_ He was just going to pretend he didn’t hear that.

“Can you take me to the nearest bus stop? I need to get back to campus.” She was giving him the puppy eyes and he had to look away, her being too close to him for comfort. 

“I’m going there, anyway,” he shrugged. “Stay close, and don’t fall behind.”

He was walking ahead, leaving her to hastily increase her strides to catch up. “Wait, you’re too fast!”

He wordlessly moved on, but slowed down for her sake to ensure the umbrella was sheltering her as well. 

As the rain continued to pour down in its great swash of release, Cloud was painfully aware of her closeness under the umbrella, separated literally by only the searing wind cutting through them.

He cast a furtive glance at the amber-haired girl.

She was struggling – that much was obvious. Why was she carrying so many things, anyway? And what was she doing all the way out here when there was certainly no other sign of residence nor landmark in this area? She was obviously at the Colosseum for something… and definitely not for a music lesson.

He anticipated he was going to regret his next action. Running a frustrated hand through his spikey hair, he leant forward to quickly grip the hook of her violin case.

“Pass that to me.” He said, keeping his tone as impassively as he could.

She looked surprised; didn’t hide it. “What?”

He took her instrument in his hand while the other continued to hold up the umbrella, “I just said.” He left his sentence at that. He hated explaining matter of facts.

It dawned on her – he was playing the gentleman. He was trying to lighten her weight.

She broke into a radiant smile, one that cut through him and sliced in him someplace inexplicable.

“Oh, thank you,” her eyes shone (he really wished she would stop doing that because it was driving him up the wall when she looked at him like that), “I guess that means I really do owe you one.”

He snorted. They were trudging through the rain, across the road that would take them to the bus stop. “Yep.”

“Like a date?” She threw him a teasing look.

He frowned. Was she…flirting with him?

Strange, he didn’t loathe it the way he usually did when his other rabid fangirls pulled that flirtatious trick on him. There was something about her mellifluous voice that tugged at his heart, but he knew her too little, too fast, to rationalize why he should feel this way.

“Or…haven’t you been on one?” She pressed on, giggling. 

If daggers could kill, his eyes were shooting at her now. It only had the effect of increasing her giggles, and the twinkle in her eyes remained. He somehow found his eyes softening – he didn’t know why, didn’t want to think about it.

“Stop acting like you know me,” he said curtly, in a defensive bid to cover up his brief lapse of coolness.

“Then tell me about yourself.” She was ranting now. She ranted when she was excited, or just being her usual convivial self that had endeared her to so many people around her on campus. She looked at him, admired inwardly how he attempted to exert an act of bravado around her when he was inside just a chivalrous gentleman who couldn’t resist lending her a helping hand when she needed it. “So…you left Blitzball practice early? I saw the rest of them still training in the Sphere until it started pouring.”

He nodded, “Got an assignment due tomorrow that I haven’t finished. My coach let me off before I could get expelled from potentially failing.”

It elicited a laughter from her. He thought it sounded like silver bells.

“Is it hard?” She asked gently. There was a different edge to her tone. “Juggling everything.”

He rolled his eyes. “I have shit grades, if you need to know.”

“But on the bright side, you’ve got a blazing career ahead of you and so many fans on your side. Must be nice,” she pointed out optimistically.

“Not the fangirls,” he remarked dryly.

“Really?” She raised an eyebrow. “You must get a lot of attention on campus, Cloud.”

He winced. “Too much.”

She nodded. She could see their bus stop right ahead of them now.

“Your turn,” his eyes met hers, “Why are you really out all the way here, anyway?”

She kicked a pebble against her toe – it ricocheted off the curb of the bus stop ahead. “Would you believe if I said I was looking for you?”

He blinked, all thoughts abolished in his brain. What?

She laughed. “I’m kidding, Cloud, I’m kidding.” There was no way he could handle the truth now- she didn’t want to scare him off.

He rolled his eyes and closed the umbrella. They had arrived at the bus stop.

“Just…” she was speaking softer now, a wistful look in her eyes, “Can you believe it’s my first time seeing the Sphere? I’ve never seen the Colosseum in person before.”

“Never?”

She shook her head, “Never. I spent too much of my life buried in sheet music and practising the violin. At the expense of…too much, I think,” she mused ruefully, looking up at the sky now slowly giving way to shafts of sunlight streaming through the gravel-grey linings of the clouds, “In the end, look what it gave me. I’ve finally got the music scholarship I worked for all these years, but…if you ask me, I would honestly trade anything for a day to know what it’s like to be one of those fangirls you mentioned – one who can have the time and liberty to fawn over Blitzball and enjoy a good game anytime they want.”

He contemplated her, not certain how to answer her. She had been so cheery, and this sudden forlornness in her eyes was something he wasn’t used to. He realized they weren’t so different after all – he had invested so much in his sporting career that he had no idea what life looked like outside of his cerulean aquatic prism.

“You…” he started, before picking his tone up more confidently, “You can come watch us train, if you like, anytime.”

She looked at him, eyes rounding. “Really, do you mean it? You…wouldn’t mind?”

He nodded, “Yep, why not? You said so yourself you haven’t watched a game before, haven’t you?”

“You won’t…charge me?” She looked so innocent, he had to stop himself from chortling inside.

“No. Look, I’ll get a visitor pass for you – then you’ll be able to watch us train anytime you want to.” He had to look away to hide the tiniest, most imperceptible smile surfacing on his expression. He didn’t know what prowess this girl possessed to break through his walls so easily at this early stage. It usually took more than this to hammer through his cool exterior that he put up so conveniently among strangers and even acquaintances.

“Really? That’s incredible, Cloud!” Her eyes were glistening now, sunshine bursting through emerald pools of eyes, “So, when do you train?” She sounded excited, but serious.

From a distance, the flashing headlights of their approaching bus were becoming perceptibly visible through the rainstorm. 

Cloud absentmindedly looked through his wallet to check if he had his student transport card, half-consciously muttering, “Uh…Monday, Wednesday, Friday, before sunrise. I try to squeeze in an afternoon or evening session every other day if I can and if the others are up for it.”

Amazement clouded in her eyes. “Even on weekends?”

“Most Saturday mornings,” he shrugged, “If I wake up on time.”

He was met with her silence; he could sense she was slightly taken aback.

“You know, Cloud, you weren’t kidding when you said you didn’t have a life. And I thought I had it rough.” Her eyes were a mix of disbelief, earnest and empathy. Her expression hit him hard somewhere in the core, and he had to look away to avoid feeling that strange flurry of emotions shaking him up altogether.

“Doesn’t matter, guess I got used to it,” he brushed it off indifferently.

“I guess, everything has a price, right? Even doing something you love.”

That caused Cloud to stop and think.

Did he love playing Blitzball? Sure, he was good at it – he had given up and sacrificed everything he could for the sake of flourishing as an athlete so much for a huge part of his life, he hadn’t really known any other purpose for his existence. But had he done it out of passion, or simply because everyone around him had thrown sky-rocket expectations in his way that this was the only path they expected him to choose? His mom had worked two jobs most of her life to put him through all his Blitzball lessons since his childhood, and his multiple Blitzball coaches in his span of career had pushed him harder than any other players to hone him to the athlete he was today.

Had he chosen Blitzball because he wanted to and loved it, or because he had no other choice?

Cloud looked at his sneakers, disquieted.

“Did I upset you by saying something?” Worry lined her eyes.

“No,” he shook his head, “forget it. The bus is here.”

Beside them, an elderly grandmother had just arrived at the bus stop with her grandchild who looked barely past five-year-old. The senior was fiddling with her umbrella, grumbling under her breath trying to fix it. It was a stroke of luck they had managed to make it to shelter just in time before her umbrella had broken.

Aerith watched them for a while, eavesdropping on the grandmother’s conversation with her tiny granddaughter. She then turned to Cloud, her eyes suddenly soft.

“You don’t mind, if I borrow your umbrella?”

Confusion laced his blue eyes. “Uh…go ahead.”

Cloud watched on, puzzlement turning to understanding as he realized what she was doing.

Aerith had approached the grandmother, and offered her the umbrella.

“Here, you can have ours.”

The elderly thanked the amber-haired lady profusely, explaining that she and her granddaughter still had miles to walk in the rain before they reached home, and they had sought temporary shelter here at the bus stop. Without an umbrella, they would have been stranded longer.

Cognizance settled in his eyes. His heart squeezed at Aerith’s kind gesture – from what or why, he didn’t understand.

She reached his side again, beaming brightly, as if oblivious to her overt gesture of kindness awhile ago. “Sorry Cloud, guess I owe you an umbrella.”

“Uh, never mind.” He realized they had missed the bus.

She made a face, “Oh shoot, you should have gone on the bus without me.” She gave a sheepish look, “Didn’t mean to hold you up.”

Cloud checked his phone. It was going to be another half hour before the next bus arrived. Time wasn’t on his side.

Aerith looked apologetic, “I can call you a taxi, Cloud, if it helps—”

“No, no, never mind. Don’t waste the money.” He honestly didn’t care if they had missed the bus if that meant an elderly grandmother and her grandchild was going to get home safe with his umbrella. But that also left him and Aerith stranded here for the next thirty minutes…

He looked up at her, and their eyes met for a brief second.

Something akin to electricity coursed through his veins, and his blood shot hot beneath his skin. He scurried to settle his gaze elsewhere – he had no idea _why_ this was happening so often today. It was just impossible for a stranger he had barely met to affect him like that.

_Yep, just a stranger. She’s just someone you met. Remember that, Cloud. Drill it in your skull._

But still, she _had_ been kind, and thoughtful. Not to him, perhaps, but the thoughtfulness that had radiated from her soul as she approached the old lady had been genuine. Some sort of sincerity she had displayed had broken through another wall of his, again. She really needed to stop doing that.

“You want to wait for the next bus?” She inquired.

“Do we have a choice?” He remarked, looking at the sky. The rain was not letting up still, and the sky was getting darker into the evening.

“You still have an assignment to rush and finish,” she reminded him.

“Fun,” he responded caustically.

“…So I have a suggestion, Cloud.”

He raised a quizzical eyebrow. “What?” He didn’t know if he liked the impish glint in her eyes or not. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

“I say,” the twinkle in her eyes was unfaltering, “we make a run for it.”

His eyes widened, “To campus?”

“Yep, c’mon, we’re not exactly that far. Maybe about a mile?”

“You’re crazy.” It was raining helter-skelter. They were going to be soaking wet by the time they reached university grounds.

“Well, then I’m going to leave you here on your lonesome, Mister,” she winked, teasingly.

He eyed her violin case still in his hands. There was no way she was going to lug the instrument and all her music scores in the rain on her own.

He sighed, and before he could consider his next choice of actions, she was already tugging at his arm.

He froze at her touch, suppressing a shudder that threatened to run the length of his spine as he stared down blankly at her fingers wrapping around his. _W-Wha---_

“C’mon Cloud, it’ll be fun!” She was dragging him out of the bus stop. “We’ll just get very wet by the time we reach campus.”

He rolled his eyes, but he wasn’t resisting. “You’re only going to get us cold, and soaked, Aerith.”

It was the first time he had called her by her name, she realized. It was an improvement on his unflappable part, and that incited her to twirl around to offer him a brilliant smile. Her fingers were still latched on his reluctant ones. “Race you to campus!”

“Wait, I didn’t agree—”

She was already making a run for it, as if oblivious to the rain gushing down onto her petite frame. She was still hugging her music scores closely to her chest, as if that would make a difference in keeping them dry. She was obviously making merriment out of this moment.

Cloud resisted the urge to perform a facepalm. She was impossible. “You’re killing me here,” he muttered under his breath.

He heard her shout through the wind, “Hold my violin for me! If you drop it, I’m going to charge you, Cloud!”

Across the yards apart, he could sense her playfulness, her boundless energy.

Something clutched at his heart – a kind of foreign emotion he couldn’t put a finger on- and it stung bittersweet. She was waving enthusiastically at him, cheering him on, despite being completely soaked through; her hair matting to her forehead and her music sheets all in a muddled, wet pile in her arms.

Cloud lifted a finger to touch his heart.

Strange, in such a chilly, stormy afternoon, he couldn’t understand the warmth and heat entangling around his neck and skin.

At the same time, he was altogether overpowered by a sudden sense of déjà vu, and the sting at his heart only needled further. It happened so quickly – a fleeting vision conjured in his head of a pale ghastly green forest, and a lady with amber hair braided down her back skipping away into the fog away from him. The dreamy image in his head dissipated as shortly as it had flashed through his mind.

Cloud did not understand the way his eyes suddenly acquired a hollow melancholy at the jolting vision. He wasn’t prepared either for the sudden pang of loss that struck him overwhelmingly to the extent of forcing a single tear to cling at the corner of his eye.

“Cloud, hurry up!” Aerith was shouting now. If she waited any longer for him, it was going to take her longer than a shower and a thorough cleanse to get rid of all the sloshing rainwater on her skin.

He shook his head, quickly blinking the threatening tear away, and took his first step out of shelter.

Rain fell onto his eyelashes; his vision a sudden blur of sky droplets washing down onto earth.

Even from a distance here, he could not miss the smile seemingly etched permanently on her face. She was beckoning at him to catch up, “C’mon Cloud, you’re making me drenched! Last one to campus is a silly goose!”

Despite himself, and the oath of his defenses to never let anything, or anyone – least of all _her_ – crumble his walls and break through his exterior, a smile made its way to the edge of his lips.

He raced after her, his gym bag slung easily behind his shoulders and her violin case safe in his other hand. He knew there was no way he was going to let her win the chase if he could help it; he was a professional athlete after all.

Above them, the cluster of clouds gradually withered away as if the rain had never been. In the wake of their footsteps and the last tears of the dewy summer rain, the remnants of a homely earth-baked smell rose from the land, hinting at the first fragrance of petrichor.

**TBC**

* * *

a/n:

I had this scene of Cloud x Aerith being stranded in the rain, at a bus stop, and couldn’t get it out of my head. Hence, this chapter was born. 😊 And yes, in case you were wondering, it was the Sleeping Forest vision that had flashed into Cloud’s mind at the end of the fic when he was running after Aerith. That scene in Remake where it left Cloud with a tear tore me apart.

I truly hope you guys are liking the direction and development of this AU fic so far!

Comment/review – you know you wanna make my day ; )

Myst-san


	3. correspondence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He closed his eyes then with a deep exhale, hit ‘send’. Cloud waited…then froze as his laptop pinged back with a notification.   
> ‘Aerith Gainsborough has sent you an email message. Open?’  
> Did he dare open? Did he want to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:
> 
> Ahh can't believe I'm actually updating the next chapter faster than I thought. 
> 
> Yep, I did promise to introduce Tifa – so here goes. I’ll try and keep the love triangle intact like the OG/Remake. But you know whose ship I sail ultimately… winks. **Hence insert anti-Cloti warning here** \- I’m not anti-Tifa in any way at all, but if you remotely incline towards this shipping or cannot tolerate any possible injustice my fic might do to Tifa, please refrain from reading further.
> 
> myst-san

**\---- x chapter 3 : correspondence**

They had entered – or more like, made a dash – into the campus grounds, thoroughly soaked and chilled to the bones. 

The music scores Aerith held to her chest were completely sodden beyond remedy, and she now stared despondently at them with a sigh. A few steps ahead, Cloud threw a glance over his shoulders at her. He caught her miserable expression, feeling a sudden, inexplicable urge to fix it.

“You lost the race, by the way,” he was careful to keep the tone of his voice soft. It was his minuscule attempt to lighten the mood; cheer her up, albeit relying on his pathetic attempt at teasing, or lack thereof. 

She looked up at him, bursting into a smile almost as if she had not been looking upset awhile ago, “Yep, I guess, I did, huh? Does this mean _I’m_ the silly goose?” 

He took the sight of her in – tousled hair tumbling down in wet tangles down her shoulders, rain droplets clinging to her coral-imbued cheeks from all the exertion of running – and his gaze embarrassingly shifted like a gentleman to avoid looking through her white summer dress now beginning to show its sheerness in her soaked state. He wasn’t in time, though, to stop the blush infusing his features. 

“Here,” Cloud tried half desperately to change the topic. He held out her violin case, which he had managed to keep relatively dry by wrapping his gym towel around it mid-way through their run back, “your violin.” 

Her sunny smile stayed on her features as she accepted it, “Thanks, Cloud. I mean it.” 

He couldn’t look into her eyes, still – not when those forest-green eyes were sparkling with so much sincerity and earnest. He didn’t think his nerves could handle it. (At this point he had stopped wondering why she had this strange effect on him unlike any others of her gender who had no such similar prowess.) 

He kept his gaze busy by examining her music scores. He shrugged, “What are you going to do with those?” 

She gave a small smile. If she was upset, she definitely tried her hardest not to show it. “Don’t worry, I’ll just have to work on these again tonight.” 

He had observed the painstaking notations of every possible color she had marked and highlighted on her sheet music. That obviously was going to take longer than a night to re-do.

“Are…you sure?” He surveyed her state – she had dirt all over her face and her shoes were waterlogged with mud, although he was in no better state himself. He definitely needed a hot shower and a glass of hot milk once he got back to his apartment. 

“Oh, you worry too much, Cloud,” she teased, “Honestly, I can take care of myself.” 

He rolled his eyes. _Was I acting too concerned?_

“You’d better get back, too,” concern clouded her eyes, “you’re soaking wet.” 

“You noticed,” he remarked dryly. 

“Oh, Mister, don’t be such a prick,” she made a playful face, “so, which direction is your apartment?” They had arrived at the entrance of their university residence. Cloud gestured to the housing on the left, and Aerith had responded by giving him a light shove in the shoulder to usher him along, “Here, get back and take a hot shower. You’ll need it.” 

He hesitated, but didn’t resist her touch. His feet moved reluctantly along with her light push. “You…gonna be okay getting back to your apartment?” 

A giggle escaped from her lips. She placed her hands on her hips in slight jest. “And…if I said I wasn’t?” 

He turned around, the lines of his forehead twitching in worry that was incredibly uncharacteristic of him. She had looked so petite, so vulnerable in her wet clothes – mud and gravel all over her skin – that he couldn’t help it. “I’ll go with you,” he had blurted out before he could stop himself. 

Her eyes had softened. That single expression of hers had wrenched him in the chest harder than he’d anticipated.

 _Now why in Gaia did I say that…?_ He thought in half panic, half exasperation. 

“I’ll be fine, Cloud, really,” she gestured to herself – although the way she presently looked did nothing to assure him of her well-being. She looked like she had just been wrecked by a storm out there and it showed. “I’ve already taken up so much of your time and you’ve still got an assignment to rush, right?” She was pushing him again before he could say another word, “Go, go.” 

“But…” he trailed off, before sighing. He turned to her. He had no idea why he had this inexplicable urge to not experience the pang of her absence all of a sudden. Her overstayed company this evening hadn’t seemed all that bad; in fact, he had found himself growing thoroughly comfortable in the light of her infectious effervescence. He had only felt this way around his housemates, as if he didn’t have to put on a veneer of coolness all the time. Before he could rationalize with his own mind, he was already thinking inwardly of excuses to stay with her. 

Although… why the hell _that_ was the case, he didn’t know, and didn’t _want_ to know. 

Frustrated at himself, he raked a hand through his soaked hair. “I…I’ll remember to send you the Colosseum pass.” 

She nodded, smiling brightly. “Can’t wait for that, Cloud, really. I’d love to come and watch you train one of these days. You have my e-mail?” 

“I’ll look it up on the school portal, not an issue.” 

“Good,” she took a step back, as if knowing their time was almost up for the evening. There was a sudden look of dolefulness in her eyes that he had not foreseen. She waved, “And I still owe you payment for that umbrella, I won’t forget. A date, right?” 

He stared, dumbfounded. He could not find his voice. This level of teasing or flirting from her- he simply could not comprehend yet how to work his way around it as a flailing member of the male gender. 

She seemed to sense his awkwardness, and she giggled, “I’ll see you around, okay, Cloud?” 

And unlike last time where he had lamely left her without so much of a goodbye or even a response, he had nodded, albeit as imperceptibly as he could. But he nodded, anyway, and he knew she had caught that subtle expression because a stellar smile had weaved its way onto her face. 

“Good luck with your assignment, Cloud! And get home quick and shower before you fall sick!” She was skipping off into the other direction now where her apartment was.

He remained uncommunicative, choosing to stare at the last of her silhouette fading into the blur of university crowds that were now swarming thicker during peak dinner time. His heart did that unusual somersault again, and he noted how his pulse was accelerating more than usual. 

Cloud chalked it down to feeling hot from the humid rain. He just needed a much-desired shower and a glass of warm milk – that was all. Nothing more, and he didn’t want to think there was more to it. 

His feet eventually found themselves back on track to his apartment before a familiar voice had stopped him on his way. 

“Cloud! Is that you? Oh my god, why are you soaking wet!?” 

He turned to the source of sound and recognized the jet-black haired girl approaching him, her ruby-wine eyes now studying his current state in bewilderment and disbelief. 

He winced. Of all times for Tifa to catch him looking like he had just ran a marathon in the rain. Though it wasn’t exactly a lie; he had literally chased Aerith all the way to campus and won fair and square at the last minute. (Although he did show her some mercy, and on some chivalrous act on his part he would never admit, he had jogged mostly instead of sprinting.)

“Hey, Tifa,” he greeted her as she eyed him curiously. 

“Caught out in the rain, Cloud? Thought you usually pack an umbrella in your gym bag for your trainings.” She hugged her Business textbooks closer to herself. Tifa had ambitious aspirations to one day own her own franchise of bars and diners in the near future, so her choice of major wasn’t an unexpected one. Cloud knew she worked several night shifts as a part-timer at the Seventh Heaven bar outside campus to chalk up experience points for her growing resume. 

“I…forgot today.” He decided to abolish any mention about a certain amber-haired violinist that had affected him within a span of 24 hours. 

“That’s…not like you,” she peered at him, curiosity still showing, “Never mind. You hungry? How about we grab some dinner?” 

He half considered it. He was starving. But he had an assignment to rush, and he desperately craved a shower. He would just have to order take-out tonight, or pray Vincent had cooked something sumptuous for everyone if today happened to be a lucky day. 

But Tifa was asking him politely, and Cloud didn’t like refusing the girl. He had known her since elementary school in Midgar and they had gone on to attend the same middle school - although they hadn’t exactly been close growing up if he was factually honest. She was always allocated to the smarter classes while he hung behind as a geeky, quiet, muchly forgotten schoolmate. She on the other hand had always been surrounded and lavished by male attention wherever she went. 

After graduation when his sporting talent had begun to take the limelight, he had been accepted into another high school specializing in sports training and they had been separated from years of different schooling ever since. Neither had bothered to catch up nor reach out to each other in the interim… until now, a few months back in Zanarkand University when they had bumped into each other on campus after all those years.

Cloud recognized he had in the past harbored some sort of childhood crush for Tifa. But that had been ages ago – and he knew it was mostly in part due to his being largely ignored and being neglected by his peers up till middle school, and that he had grown envious of the boys snagging the attention of the most popular girl. His past desire to assert superiority over his peers had been instrumental in causing part of the illusion that he had been entirely infatuated with her.

But he was wiser, and more mature now, and with his insecurities dissipating with time and age and his career taking off, those feelings were no longer validated, much less relevant. 

Still, she was a reminder of his past, and still an old friend. In a way, she did remind him of nostalgic, innocent days back then growing up in the Midgar slums surviving to make a name out of himself. Although not much had changed with her – Tifa today still had no lack of male suitors wherever she went in university. Her toned figure and reputation for being able to kick anyone’s ass in every form of martial arts only consolidated her name as a magnet for the opposite sex who constantly sought for her attention. 

“Um,” Cloud ignored his grumbling, protesting stomach, “I’m just going to order take-out tonight. Got stuff to do. Plus maybe Vincent’s cooking, who knows.” 

She looked dubious, as if unaccustomed to being rejected, especially by him, “Really? It’s the first time you’ve said no to me, Cloud.” 

_Really? But I do want to finish my assignment…And I still need to drop Aerith an email._

Ah, the latter. That would explain why he had this hasty impulse to rush back home. That, and he _really_ wanted to be towelled dry again. 

He shrugged his shoulders, saying nothing. 

Tifa sighed, straightening her back. “Alright, Cloud. Let’s do a rain-check? I’m on night shift at Seventh Heaven tomorrow. We can grab a bite after if you like.”

He thought about it. He had an extra night practice at the Sphere tomorrow, that was true – his coach had lately been going nuts about the upcoming season and was recently mental about scheduling more training sessions for his team. 

“Yeah,” Cloud answered, though without much conviction on his part. He wasn’t sure how his schedule would look yet…and especially if there was a small probability that Aerith would pop by his training tomorrow… “I’ll let you know again, Tifa,” he replied non-committedly.

This time, Tifa hadn’t bothered to hide her indignation. Cloud wasn’t one who usually turned her down twice in a row. This was new to her. New and not quite pleasant to her ears.

“I’ll text you.” She nodded. “Go have a shower then, Cloud. And if you change your mind about dinner later, let me know.” 

He nodded absentmindedly; he was already turning away and scurrying off towards his apartment.

The only thoughts flying through his mind were that of a comforting hot shower, his abominable Life Sciences assignment awaiting him, a soothing glass of hot milk, and his final favorite activity at the end of another long, swamped day – sinking into his cosy duvet and switching on his precious laptop. Wherein he would usually try and slot in a quick 30 minutes before bedtime for a few rounds of multi-player gaming, Cloud decided he might as well forgo it tonight. He had more important things to tend to – like applying for a stadium pass from his team manager and then sending out an email after to a certain violinist he’d just met. 

He had been entirely oblivious to the strange look Tifa sent his way. 

Something was different about Cloud, she deduced, and it had stirred an unpleasant sensation in her stomach. Tifa knew she didn’t like it, but she would have to wait until tomorrow when they would meet for dinner to find out what was causing him to act so peculiarly. 

* * *

Cloud sank into his bedsheets, savoring the way his head hit the covers of the fluffy pillows at the end of a long day. He didn’t exactly care that his hair was still wet, although he could picture his mom nagging at him to at least towel them dry before he turned in for bed. He was truly too exhausted at this point to care. 

He pulled up his laptop in front of him and waited for his emails to come flooding in. Disinterestedly, he marked most of them read and moved the ones that disengaged him to trash. Tutorial assignment reminders, professors droning on about what topics to focus on the next test, quizzes’ dates, topic discussions – argh, university life sometimes drove him up the wall. 

He hovered his mouse cursor over another desktop icon and his eyes gleamed with tiny exhilaration. The joys of multi-player gaming during the night were second to none. The last 30-minute slot before his bedtime was deemed sacred time, and all his housemates knew how peeved he got if he was disturbed once he got logged on to his self-proclaimed gates of heaven. 

Outside his bedroom, Cloud could hear Barret and Cid’s loud argument about whose turn it was to do the laundry. The latter had let out an entire string of curse words unsuitable for chaste listeners, and Barret had countered that he had already done his part the day before, so “It’s definitely your turn to do the fuckin’ laundry, you lazy ass!!!” 

Cloud sighed, sinking deeper into his bedsheets trying to shut their voices out. How he ever coped with them around, he didn’t know – it was the work of a miracle. Still, there were perks to living with his housemates that he couldn’t discount. Barret was good at plumbing and fixing anything that broke in the house. Cid, for someone who smoked and cursed so much, had actual OCD about cleanliness and would keep the house spick and span to a fault…and Vincent, well - Cloud now stared at the bowl of pepper fries sitting in his hands as he pored over his laptop - Vincent was a bloody amazing cook, although Cloud would die before he admitted it to the gothic-vampire-obsessed-freak. 

His laptop made a notification buzz, and Cloud blinked at the new email message that had just came in. It got him sitting up straighter in bed, realizing it was his Blitzball team manager who had approved his earlier request for a stadium pass and emailed him a digital copy. Excitement tingled beneath the skin of his fingers, and he found himself typing with renewed agility onto the keyboard, pulling up the search results for students’ email addresses registered in the university portal. 

He scanned the addresses under the initial A for a few minutes, scrolling through. 

… _Found it._

He was about to forward the stadium pass on to the address, when his fingers paused in motion. He considered it for awhile – did he dare press ‘send’? Really, _she_ had requested for it, hadn’t she? 

He was painfully mindful of the mix of strange exhilaration and hesitation coursing through him that was setting his pulse on an unusual beat. In the span of a few seconds where his fingers hung above the keyboard, Cloud hoped he wasn’t going to regret his action. 

He popped another fry in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. 

All he could see was _her_ face, wistful and pensive altogether as she stared up to the steel-colored sky today, describing unlived adolescent days where she had missed out on too much. Yet despite everything, she had been upbeat and optimistic…even sounding hopeful for a future that could give her the chance that could change some things in her life – attending her first Blitzball game, for one. 

And _he_ had told her he could help. 

Cloud swallowed his fry. 

It was harmless, right? And it wasn’t like it would put him in any lose-lose situation. She could sit and watch a Blitzball game like any other normal fan. 

His insides squirmed. 

But that would mean…she would be watching his team train sometimes – that included _him._

Cloud wanted to smack himself on the head. Now why did he promise he would send her a stadium pass? That would allow her to access entry into his beloved Colosseum anytime, watch _him_ in action anytime, and approach _him_ anytime. 

He suddenly found himself choking on his fry loudly. 

“Yo, Cloud!” Barret was banging on his door, “Are ya okay!? Ya sound like ya dying after you ate a moth!” 

“I’m fine, Barret, leave me alone,” he snapped, reaching out to his bedside table for his cold glass of milk to ease his choke. The chill of the beverage however did nothing to bring down the temperature clawing at his neck suddenly. 

Cloud had certainly _not_ thought through the repercussions of pressing ‘send’. 

He sighed with vexation. Well, too late in going back on his word now. Besides, it wouldn’t _really_ hurt, right? To see her turn up one day at the Sphere? 

And as to why in Gaia’s name he was feeling feverish in this hour of the night, Cloud could not rationalize. He blamed it on the rain just now. In a haste, he tore his shirt over his shoulder and tossed it with annoyance onto the floor. It was getting too bloody fuckin’ hot in here.

_Just press send, Strife. Just PRESS, and not think. Focus. Focus is key._

He closed his eyes, tight, then with a deep exhale, hit ‘send’. 

Cloud held his breath; didn’t realized he was doing so. 

That was that, he thought.

All of a sudden in the quietness of his room (saved for his housemates still screaming outside about whose turn it was to choose the TV channel tonight), he could hear his heart skidding in his chest. 

_I’mnotnervous,I’mnotnervous,I’mnotnervous, I’m NOT nervous—_

His laptop pinged with a new notification. 

He froze. 

An email icon popped up at the bottom-right corner of his screen. His eyes darted to read it. 

_ Aerith Gainsborough has sent you an email message. Open?  _

The pepper fry hovering near his mouth remained motionless, frozen in time. 

Did he dare open? Did he want to? 

His heart was hammering so loudly now, its noise had even supplanted his housemates’ bellowing in the background outside. 

Okay, so he was nervous as heck. In his span of 21 years as a member of the male species, it was his first time taking the initiative to email someone of the opposite gender – an email that didn’t involve tutorials or course work. 

Oh, fuck it. 

Cloud clicked on the email header, expanding the browser wide.

_Thanks, Cloud ^^_ _  
_ _Can_ _’_ _t wait to see you in action!  
_ _Sweet dreams,_ _  
_ _Aerith_

_p.s. hope you managed to finish that assignment._ __

His eyes read to the end of the email, but not before noting that she had inserted an animated clipart of a smiley-faced yellow star resting on a floating cloud at the bottom of her text. The animation had made an effect of dancing around his screen leaving rainbow sprinkles in its trailing wake, causing him to blink in a startle. 

_What…was that._

If his heart drummed any louder, the deafening noise was going to impede his hearing at this rate. 

He hadn’t even realized he had dropped his (thankfully now empty) bowl of fries onto the floor with a loud _CLANK!_ in his moment of absurdity staring at his laptop screen as if it was made out of unicorn dust and paddle pop shine. 

He could hear Cid yelling at him beyond the walls to shut up, that he was disturbing his concentration watching a space documentary on TV. 

Cloud ignored the older man and read through the email again. 

Yep, no doubt, it was her who had replied him. 

Did he dare reply her? What was he going to say? Was her email the kind that warranted a reply? What would guys do in his situation? Was there an email template he could use to copy and paste a standard reply back? 

One thousand and one questions flared through his brains, and in sheer frustration, he slammed his laptop shut and put it away. 

He shuffled his way to the toilet to wash up before bedtime, staring at his reflection in the mirror. God, he looked like crap. Tired, and crappy, and…and flustered. 

He had no idea why the latter though. No idea why his cheeks were tainted redder, why his breaths were coming quicker, why there was a weird fluttering sensation starting in the pit of his stomach. 

He proceeded after to dive into his bed, burying his head under his pillow in annoyance at his lack of self-understanding. 

Almost as soon as he closed his eyes, exhaustion had surrendered him for sleep. 

The first in a long time coming, old nightmares that had haunted him were superseded by different dreams…dreams that now kept him rested throughout the night without stirring him awake. 

A serene look passed over his sleeping face. 

Cloud dreamt, of glittering stars in an expanse of milky way beckoning him in, of a sky so wide and brilliant, they drew his eyes heaven bound to settle among its fairy-white clouds. 

He slept, for the first time, in peace. 

**TBC**

* * *

a/n: 

yep, I promise to bring the Turks in for the next chapter...although maybe not in the most expected way. 

hehe and anyone else recognized the "And if I said I wasn't?"/ "I'll go with you." scene from FFVII: Remake? Ahhhhhh the Clerith in me screams and squeals. 

comment/review - you know you wanna tell me how you’re liking this AU fic so far ; ) winks 

myst-san 


	4. star-speckled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud couldn’t remember the last time he ate out of a bento box – especially picnicking out here under the stars with someone else, eating home-cooked food.   
> “So, does this mean me feeding you equate to I don’t owe you a debt anymore?”  
> “Hn, you wish.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: 
> 
> yep you want the Turks – I hear ya!!   
> Okay I’m kidding. I just love the Turks too much not to include them in my AU. Especially Reno. (sniggers evilly) 
> 
> Anyway, insert usual disclaimer/warnings here. **Anti-Cloti/Tifa fans, best to stay away.** And also for this chappie, if you don’t like me possibly slaughtering your fave Turks and doing their AU characters any injustice, please refrain from reading any further lest you flame me XD 
> 
> This is personally one of my favorite chapters to date because I had so much fun writing the Turks. And of course, our favorite ship Clerith. ^^   
> Okay let’s get down to business! 
> 
> Myst-san

**\---x chapter 4: star-speckled**

Training at the Sphere had gone all awry today. 

Anything that could have gone wrong, happened. One of their players had suffered from a near concussion when the ball had accidentally swerved into his head, and their reserve goalkeeper had injured his hand when attempting to fling out within his radius to save the goal. In a moment of foul fury, their Blitzball coach Reeve had blown the whistle and stormed out of the Sphere, leaving the rest of them to take the brunt of his anger. 

Hence it made every sense for Reno to fume his way into the locker room, hurtling his gym bag onto the floor in frustration. Beside him, his closest friend Rude and also first-choice goalkeeper for the Raiders rolled his eyes. When the red-headed athlete got into these temperamental moods of his, there was absolutely no way calming him down.

“Fuck this, I’m tired, and so fucking hungry.” Reno stripped himself of his wet Blitzball gear, his definition of abs glistening with dripping water under the glaring room lights. He received a comforting pat on the back from his bald-head teammate. 

“We did our best,” Rude responded laconically. 

Behind them, their vice-Captain Tseng was sighing. Two players down just before the season was coming up. Even though the latter two were reserve players, they needed everyone on the team they could get in their best shape. Tseng shook the water out of his neat ponytail, and retrieved his towel from his locker. 

“If you overthink it, Reno, it will be a disaster, that is for sure,” the vice-Captain advised his red-head teammate still fuming. 

Their locker room bursting with swaths of male athletes now reeked heavily of chlorinated water. In their 20-man team, more than half comprising males, it was apparent their coach Reeve’s disappointment in their performance today had affected them all. The mood as everyone headed for the showers was somber and low. 

A cough sounded purposely, and all heads turned to the source.

Standing at the door, the room quietened as their captain Rufus entered and solemnly cast a glance at his teammates. It was expected that he was going to show up and give his usual pep talk whenever his team was in another demoralized state. Their season was coming up so fast, and the pressure was getting to everyone. 

“The players are fine. In the infirmary now, but they’ll be fine. Let’s keep our head in the game,” Rufus ordered.

Everyone gave nods. Despite how low they were feeling, it was undoubted they held a deep respect for their Captain whose brains and strategic tactics had many times won them multiple games in a row. He and Tseng together had taken up the mantle of leadership for the Zanarkand Raiders in the last few years now, and no one had since questioned their line of command because they had done nothing but an absolute damn good job at their roles – leading the Raiders to win their last Tournament championship 2 years ago for one. They had a title to defend this year. 

Reno sighed, and wrapped a towel around his bottom-half carelessly, “I could kill for anything but think about Blitzball now.” 

He turned around and gave a holler, “Who’s up for drinks at Seventh Heaven!?” 

Beside him, Rude gave a slight cough, and Reno caught it with a wink. 

“You’re going with me, pal,” he draped a brotherly arm around his friend, “Tifa’s going to be there, you know that, right.” He was referring to the bald-head goalkeeper’s infatuation with the bartender. It had explained why the Raiders had often frequented the bar since as their usual hangout. 

“Be quiet,” Rude hurled the Blitzball into Reno’s chest, but the redhead swiftly caught it anyway. 

“Save that energy for Tifa, Rude,” Reno winked again, “Tseng, Rufus, ya coming!? Anyone else?” 

Two thumbs-ups were flashed across the room, and some other players around shouted their assents. 

Reno grinned with glee. It could be a shitty training day – but drinks at Seventh Heaven literally always brought him to the seventh heaven, especially drinking himself silly with his Raiders mates. He approached their youngest star player who had now just stepped out clean of the showers donning only his board shorts. At Reno’s approach, the spikey blonde boy had warily moved a distance away, wanting to avoid the red head. 

Reno caught the frown on Cloud’s lips. The glee in him only increased two folds. 

“Cloudy, our Raiders’ favorite Spikey boy star player!” Reno went up to Cloud and encased the younger boy's neck with his arm in an act of almost throttling him. “You joining us tonight, or what?” 

Cloud’s frown deepened, “Let me go, Reno.” 

Reno tightened his grip on the young boy until the latter almost swerved a punch in his stomach. 

“Hey, hey, relax, Spike,” Reno smiled, “Just teasing ya. So you grabbing a bite with us tonight?” 

Cloud was by his locker, grabbing his stuff and checking through his belongings. He pulled his phone and looked at it. It was just past 9 o’clock at night and their night training had thankfully ended earlier than usual due to Reeve’s walking-out fury. Cloud was starving, though, and his protesting stomach was cajoling him to join the Turks tonight. 

The Turks – Rufus, Tseng, Reno, Rude and the other girl on their team, Elena waiting outside the males’ locker room at the moment. The five of them, including Cloud himself, made up the elite 6-player team for the Zanarkand Raiders as their top-ranked athletes. In the most important, difficult games, the Turks were Reeve’s first choice to be fielded to take out any opponent, and the six of them would rise up to the occasion with no more than a blink of an eye. They were formidable, and were now almost invincible with Reeve’s latest recruitment of their star player, Cloud, joining in their ranks. 

It had been a running joke, actually, and Reno’s idea, calling themselves the Turks as the elite group of the Raiders. It had started with their tradition of gathering at his and Rude’s apartment for turkey each time they won a match, and in the red head’s drunken stupor he had labelled themselves the Turks – the Raiders’ most potent 6-man force that had so far not fail to triumph in any Blitzball game. 

Except, Cloud had refused to identify himself as Turk. No, bloody, way. No matter how much they had taken to him and brought him out for dinner and drinks each time the young boy scored for the team. 

Reno was now looking at him expectantly. Cloud usually joined them if he hadn’t got an assignment due the next day – he did enjoy the food at the bar, but he never out-stayed his welcome in his usual aloof manner. 

Cloud slung his gym bag on his shoulder, “I don’t know, not really in the mood.” 

The red head narrowed his eyes. “You busy, Spike? You know I heard your housemates are going to be at the bar, too. Barret’s working the night shift, so Vin and Cid’s gonna show. You sure you don’t want to come?” 

Cloud understood Barret had accepted a part-time job with the Seventh Heaven alongside Tifa as well for some extra cash. The big man had been lately mentioning serious talk about adopting a child from the Midgar slums, and he knew Barret didn’t joke about things like that. If the big man was looking to adopt, he definitely needed cash. 

Cloud considered it – although the combination of Turks _and_ his housemates spelt a recipe for an overly loud night, it would be quite nice and entertaining to just sit and eat his dinner and watch them try and wring each other necks in their alcohol-induced states. 

His phone beeped a notification, and he looked at it. 

_You have received a new email message from Aerith Gainsborough._

In a sudden fluster, Cloud slipped his phone into his pocket and averted his gaze from the frowning redhead. “I’ll catch up with you guys at the bar maybe later, Reno.” 

“Wha—Cloud!” 

He left Reno behind in a rush as he hurried out of the locker room, past a waiting Elena outside who waved him goodbye, and down the corridors of the Colosseum walkways. His footsteps were hasty, and in his hustle to move quickly, he had almost stumbled as the mildest hint of exhilaration surged to the core of his stomach. 

When he was certain he was now out of sight and hearing from the locker room, he picked up his phone and opened the message, his heart skidding incomprehensibly, irrationally. 

_Hey, good game. :)_

It was a simple message, three words. But it affected him, nonetheless. 

Cloud exhaled – he had forgotten to breathe. He hadn’t realized. 

It dawned on him. 

_She had been here. Watching him. All this time._

That meant… 

Realization struck him like electricity. 

That meant, she was here. 

* * *

Aerith liked this spot. 

Here, she was seated on just one of ten thousand other empty seats surrounding the huge spherical pool churning with boundless blue water. She had never felt so tiny, so small in comparison to the huge world around her, and in this physical state where she was naught but a small shadow amidst the vacant expanse of the Colosseum bleachers, the emphasis was suddenly large. 

But with the constellations in the open sky painting infinite patterns above and the hypnotic Sphere swirling its waters like hypnotic magic by the front, Aerith felt tremendously at ease in a place so mammoth. Perhaps it was the quiet that she liked, or the stillness of the air, or that she had all her life long for a place like this where no one could disturb the thoughts in her head (she often thought university life, as colourful and vivacious as it was, was too loud for her to truly enjoy solitude) – in anyway, Aerith was well aware she was still taking her own sweet time hanging back behind at the bleachers.

The Raiders’ training had ended half hour ago, and the stadium lights had dimmed out for the night. Still, she had taken to this place so quickly, she had refused to leave unless being chased out by security.

Her headphones were plugged into her ears as she scribbled feverishly on her sheet music. She had spent the whole night trying to re-do her soiled mess the other day under the rain, and she was just about to finish most of her annotations. Beside her, invoices and orders for her flower delivery services sat in a pile by the side still unsorted – she would look at them later. 

It was quite a nice place here to study and do her work, actually. And if that meant she could sit here and visit anytime, and watch _him_ train in his element – well, what else could she ask for? 

It had been nothing short of breathtaking watching Cloud move with such deftness in the water. The media hadn’t been lying about his abilities – it was as if the man was born in the sea and sculpted for the aquatic sport. Some athletes trained hard, but he looked as if he was destined for Blitzball. He made flipping and somersaulting in water look as easy as being in air undeterred by gravity. 

Aerith found herself smiling at no one in particular. She could watch him for hours and hours with no end. She turned up the volume of the violin concerto playing through her headphones, and so immersed in her own little world was she that she had failed to notice the approaching footsteps her way. 

A few feet off, Cloud stood, staring, almost open-mouthed at the girl, as if wanting to say something. 

He couldn’t find the right words to say, so he merely watched as Aerith started humming a tune beneath her breath and jotted down her notes onto paper. Under the moonlight, the shine above illuminated her features with an incandescent light, blinding him temporarily – whether from the way she looked so dainty and delicate under the starlit night or from the shafts of moonbeam flashing into his eyes, he wasn’t sure. But he had to blink watching her, simply because it had felt so surreal she was actually here – right before him, three feet away. 

“Aerith?” He called out, his voice low. 

She didn’t look up – probably too engrossed in her musical merriment.

He had to push the smile surfacing on his face away. She always looked so blissfully lost in her own world when it came to music. He understood that feeling – he felt like this when he was in the Sphere pool, alone with his thoughts, away from everyone with only the gushing of waters filling the sounds of his ears alone. It was the only place he could think, and he assumed that was what the experience was for Aerith, as well. 

He took a step forth, as if afraid to break her out of her own spell. 

She still hadn’t noticed him. 

He crouched down to her height and gave her shoulder a light tap, hoping not to scare her. 

She looked up at him with rounded eyes, stunned. 

“O-Oh, oh my god,” She hastily pulled the headphones down from her head, giving a guilty look that she had not noticed him, “Cloud! You scared me!” 

He slid his hands into his pockets, shrugging. “I did say your name.” 

“Sorry,” she offered a sheepish smile and pointed to her headphones, “These are way too powerful for noise-blocking for my own good.” 

He pretended to roll his eyes, “I could use a pair for my noisy housemates.” 

She laughed, “Don’t let them hear that, Cloud.” 

He looked at her then, seriously. “You didn’t tell me you were coming today.” He was referring to her email that she had only just sent out a few minutes ago. 

She shook her head, “No, I didn’t want to disturb you, Cloud.” 

He cocked an eyebrow, but chose to say nothing. 

She broke into a smile and patted the seat next to her, “Since you’re here, join me?” 

He stared at her, and then at the empty chair, then back at her – as if the decision was a hard one to make between his mind screaming him to move away before he did something he would regret and his heart telling him there was no harm in being close to the amber-haired violinist for just one night. 

He hesitated. _Just this time._

He nodded mildly, and took his seat next to her on the bleachers, well aware of their shoulders almost touching now. 

He willed his eyes to look anywhere but in her way. She was far too damn distracting for his nerves to handle under the moonlight, so he ended up glancing at her sheet music. 

“You…managed to salvage all of yesterday’s mess?” He asked, the concern in his tone unmistakable. 

She gave a tight smile, “Had to re-do all of it.” She pointed to the undersides of her eyes and joked in jest, “That’s why you see my eye circles today, Cloud. Very attractive, huh?” 

And he had by chance looked into her eyes at that instance. 

Bad mistake. Those emerald eyes drew him in some places he couldn’t foresee wanting to leave, and that same sensation of his heart flipping over again was causing him to panic like the last time. He reflexively shied his gaze away. “Then you’d better have an early night today,” he tried to say coolly. He hoped his nerves didn’t betray his tone. 

“Yeah,” she was yawning now, stretching her arms outright, “I’m _so_ tired, Cloud.” 

His response to that was, very unfortunately and very untimely, a grumbling stomach. 

He looked mortified. _What the fuck._

It only made her burst out in giggles as she turned to him not noticing how his cheeks had reddened in embarrassment. 

“You haven’t had your dinner, have you?” She asked with a look in her eyes he had witnessed somewhere before. It was the same kindness she had shown the grandmother the other day under the rain – and it was shining through her face now, fortified by the light of the cosmic stars above. 

He shook his head, still embarrassed at his stupid, protesting stomach. 

“Sorry, I hope I haven’t been holding you up. Were you about to head out for dinner?” 

“No, no,” he replied briskly, “I was going to order take-out when I get back to my apartment.” 

He couldn’t believe his own ears – he was lying through his own teeth. Ah well, he didn’t care now. It was already out of his mouth. 

He watched her curiously as she dug through something from her backpack. 

“You know, Cloud, it’s _your_ lucky day. I was just about to get hungry,” she pulled out something something squarish in shape from her bag, “And I do have double servings today because I happened to over-cook in my apartment.” 

It registered on Cloud what it was. A bento box. 

She had a packed dinner with her. 

His eyes followed her hands opening the lid to reveal the sumptuous home-cooked meal of rice rolls and sushi. He couldn’t help himself – he inwardly salivated at its sight, and the splendid smell of it turned his agreeing stomach inside out. God, she reminded him how truly hungry he was after training. 

She seemed to sense his hunger and eager stomach. Her eyes shone at his apparent interest that he couldn’t mask no matter how hard he try. “Shall we share? I’ve cooked tons of food this morning for me and my housemate, Yuffie. But oh, she left in such a hurry for class that she hadn’t taken all this food with her and left them with me.” 

“Uh, I…” He honestly didn’t have the stomach to say no. He was _bloody_ hungry, and she was offering. 

“Look,” she held out a pair of chopsticks for him, “You’re going to do me a huge favor cleaning up all of this food so it doesn’t go to waste, okay, Cloud?” 

She shoved the bento box into his hands. He didn’t resist, taking it and the chopsticks between his fingers. He stared at her, “How about you?” 

She pulled out another box from her bag, laughing cheerily now, “ _That’s_ how much food I keep in my stash.” 

He hoped the darkness of the night saved for the moonlight hid the smallest trace of a smile grazing his lips. He looked down at the sushi rolls, and found himself irresistible to its rich appeal. He couldn’t remember the last time he ate out of a bento box – it had a surprising homely feel to it, especially picnicking out here under the stars with someone else, eating out of packed home-cooked food.

Something akin to warmth bloomed in his chest, and Cloud made no effort this time to push it away or rationalize it. 

He dug into his packed dinner, wordlessly savoring its fragrance, and this surreal moment taking his dinner under the starlit sky with someone else that he had barely known until a few days ago. 

He sneaked a glance at her, dared to. The chopsticks hung near his lips as all motions and thoughts froze at the sight of her eating blissfully under the velvet dark sky. He hadn’t been wrong in his conjecture of her yesterday when he caught her looking like a mess in the rain. He couldn’t deny it now even – with the moonlight pouring onto her face and the brilliant stars playing out its ever-changing glow against the porcelain of her skin – she was utterly arresting. 

His heart fluttered for a second as a warning, and he dropped his eyes to find his sushi rolls suddenly more interesting. _Shit._ He really ought to stop doing that. 

“Yummy?” She asked, gently studying his features. 

He nodded, “Yep.” He wasn’t lying. It was the best sushi and rice rolls he had in ages. 

He was rewarded with a smile. “I’m glad, Cloud.” 

She had finished her bento box and put it away. In the same moment his phone had beeped a text message, and he found himself slightly annoyed at the abrupt disturbance to an otherwise serene night away from the hustle and bustle of the world. Here, with her, in the expanse of this colossal stadium, everything else felt negligible in comparison. 

He checked his screen. It was Tifa, who had dropped him a message. 

_Hey Cloud, coming to the bar?_

He winced inwardly. He had forgotten all about it. 

Beside him, he could sense Aerith looking at him in wonder. 

With a flurry of emotions passing through him, most of all obvious the utter reluctance to let go of this star-speckled moment with an almost stranger beside him consuming his feelings, he shut his phone screen in a haste, and proceeded to finish the food in his hands. 

“Everything okay?” She had asked beside him. 

He nodded. But inside, he couldn’t comprehend the gravity of what he had done. 

Had he… just ignored Tifa? 

He sighed. Never mind, he would worry about that later. 

“So,” Aerith was speaking again, her tone light, her eyes dancing, “Does this mean me feeding you equate to I don’t owe you a debt anymore?” 

He pretended to snort, “Hn, you wish.” 

He received a playful poke in the shoulder. “I knew it, you just want a proper date with me.” 

Despite knowing she was just teasing him, his cheeks had imbued themselves with shades of crimson. He didn’t retort, or he just wasn’t smooth enough like any other member of his male species would have done. So he simply turned away hoping she hadn’t caught his shyness. 

Then he realized, he hadn’t denied her words, either. 

_Because maybe she’s not entirely wrong, Strife. Maybe you DO want a date with her._

He stopped himself – where the fuck did that voice in the back of his head come from? Was this what psychologists called it the subconsciousness speaking from within? Well, he definitely would not acknowledge this inner voice, no matter what. 

He had been so long caught up in his own train of thoughts while chewing silently into his sushi rolls, that he hadn’t noticed the silence among them had stretched to seconds of seeming eternity. Yet somehow, it was not an uncomfortable or awkward silence. His shoulders relaxed visibly as he fed more rolls into his mouth. Whatever effect she had on him, her cheeriness and effervescence were highly contagious, and eased more than slight tension under his taut muscles. 

Cloud felt a sudden weight resting on him and looked down to see that she had fallen asleep on his shoulder.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise; he had not expected her to be this tired, and to have dozed off while waiting for him to finish his packed dinner. Most of all, he had not expected her to have eventually used him…as a pillow. 

He didn’t push her away, although normally he would abhor the hell out of human contact and anyone who tried to invade his personal space. But as he studied her features – the crescent of her shut eyelashes catching the glint of the moonlight bouncing off her, the peaceful look claiming her worn face as she dreamt, the clusters of faint and bold light above casting luminescent pin-pricks against her rose-colored cheeks – he found himself melting altogether, heart and soul. 

His eyes softened considerably, taking in the way she had so soundly, so easily leant into his neck and fallen asleep. She looked so vulnerable, so delicate, yet at the same time so exquisite under the starry night that lent her its riveting glow, that he had to simply stop, and stare. 

The bento box remained in his hands, uneaten; forgotten. Chopsticks subconsciously plonked back into his lap. 

He couldn’t help it – his eyes were drawn to her like moth to a flame. A sky full of stars, and he was staring at _her._

He heard his phone beep, breaking his state of trance, and with slight irritation realizing it was Tifa texting him again, he turned off his phone decisively, ignoring whether it was even ethical or considerate to do so to someone who considered him a friend. 

Cloud only knew – he was selfish in wanting this second to last its longest, with _her._

The stars hung above them, Aerith asleep by his side, and him contented to simply bask under the starry night of constellations strung in the air by invisible strings. 

**TBC**

* * *

a/n: 

I honestly hoped I did the Turks some justice here – and that I didn’t destroy anyone’s expectations of them in an AU ! – ahh runs away if I did, plsdon’tflamemeplsdon’tfllameme LOL – 

The idea of Cloud and Aerith sitting under a starry night picnicking with bento boxes sat in my head for the longest time, so here it played all out like this. I hoped you liked it as much as I did writing XD

And yes I loved this poetry so much from Atticus: 

A sky full of stars, and he was staring at _her._

Hence I included it very obviously in the last part of my fic hehehe .

Review/comment – you know you wanna! 

Myst-san


	5. starless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I…” Aerith’s tone was quiet, “I...didn’t know you guys were dating.”  
> We’re not! We’re not, dammit. His mind screamed. But his bravado act betrayed him and so he remained motionless.   
> Aerith looked between Tifa and Cloud, the latter averting his gaze anywhere but on emerald eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n:   
> I’m going to spend a bit more on this chapter on Aerith’s backstory, and I also hope you’ll recognize the scene from FFVII:Advent Children that I’ll kinda insert in here. Well, uh, just read the fic!  
> And yes, insert same **Anti-Cloti/Tifa warning** in my fic. If you’re a fan, best you stay away yadda.. 
> 
> Myst-san

**\---x chapter five : starless**

Aerith artfully arranged the variety of multi-colored flowers in her hands. 

A popular date for wedding anniversaries was coming up, and requests for especially red and pink roses were filling up her work email briskly. Maintaining her passion for floral arrangement which had culminated in her first florist business had been difficult alongside pursuing her music studies, which although generated her the necessary income to tide her through university, had also brought its hatch of endless sleep-deprived days.

She looked around the room - thankfully Yuffie had been understanding enough of a housemate to let her store all her flower instocks in their apartment. There was no way her small enterprise at this stage could fund the hefty rental fees of a proper shop yet. Their house had been turned into a mini flower garden but Yuffie had never minded, preferring the fragrance and colors of a girly, rainbow-filled home.

It was strange how her adoration for flowers had started from a young age. Aerith as a child had constantly woken up from recurring dreams of floating in fields of flowers. In them, she would find herself under the same pasty, white sky, surrounded by the same lemon-gold lilies dancing around her, and always, _always,_ there would always be a man, and a woman whom she didn’t recognize, standing back to back, in the center of the fields. 

She never got to see their faces, but young Aerith could _hear_ them speak, crystal clear. The man spoke in such a broken, hollow tone, that Aerith remembered badly wanting to reach out to comfort him. He would speak about forgiveness – asking the lady standing by his back if sins could ever be forgiven, and if anything, if he _deserved_ that forgiveness. 

Young Aerith always wondered what he had done to the lady beside him whom he probably loved beyond death to wreck him so much. There was _so_ much pain in his voice, that shook a barely adolescent Aerith even on the cusp of understanding human emotions. 

Then the faceless lady would speak – and with that melodious tone of hers that reminded young Aerith so much of the loveliest of chimes in a dry summer spell, she would laugh at the man for being so silly at being so despondent, and ask who he really wanted to seek forgiveness from. 

Just like this, the couple drifted away in space and time from Aerith’s dreams as she grew up, but that image of them standing among abundant flowers had long been embedded into her mind, intensifying her ever-growing love for those flower buds and blossoms. 

Aerith had long made up her mind that when she grew up, she wanted her own flower shop – partially as a tribute for the couple who used to visit her floral dreams.

With nostalgic fondness, the amber-haired flower girl now traced her fingers amidst buttercups and daisies before her forest-green eyes landed on the petals of yellow lilies. 

She thought back to Cloud’s eyes – the shade of striking blue touched by stormy oceans. 

When she had first laid eyes on him back in the music room, those eyes with a thousand hues of blue had lured her back to those long-forgotten dreams...especially of that broken, hurt man who longed to be forgiven. Aerith couldn’t explain the connection, but she had felt on the spur of the moment after, to offer Cloud something in person. 

...Hence, she had given him a yellow lily. 

For no good reason, it seemed. Perhaps, just for the sake of thanking Cloud - for the color of his eyes had helped jolt an old, distant dream that reminded her why she had started her floral ambitions. 

Aerith found herself smiling. And as if fate had followed the path of the yellow flower, it had led them to one chance encounter, to the next, to _here._

“Penny for your thoughts, milady?” Behind her, Yuffie was calling out in her usual energetic manner, slinging one tiny arm around her housemate’s shoulder. She was stuffing sushi rolls into her mouth as she spoke, “Man, Aerith, I’ve got to admit – lately your cooking has been through the roof. What’s up with that?” 

The amber-haired girl dipped her head shyly, which Yuffie being much too intuitive for her age, caught it anyway. 

“Oh my god, are you blushing? Is my unflappable housemate blushing? What in the world has gotten into you, Aerith?” Yuffie was teasing her housemate, “First you cook way too much for the both of us, then you blush when I ask you why. Okay, Ms. Violinist, out with it—who’s the lucky guy?” 

“Yuffie!” Aerith burst into giggles – she couldn’t help it. Yuffie was so bright and cheery and she was so fond of the smart young girl. “Stop teasing me!” 

“And you’ve been disappearing somewhere for the past few nights…” Yuffie wagged a finger, “Don’t think I haven’t noticed! Creeping back to our house after midnight. Naughty, naughty Gainsborough.” 

Aerith tried to shut her friend up by sticking a stalk of daisy into Yuffie’s mouth, who bit it playfully like it was a prize. Yuffie wasn’t wrong – Aerith had been out the past two nights picnicking under the stars with a certain spikey-haired boy at the Colosseum… 

Wistful thoughts shook her. Aerith remembered brief flashes from the first night she had fallen asleep on Cloud’s shoulder, to the following night she had decided to visit the Colosseum again because she had taken to the star-speckled spot so much where she felt was the only place she could get away from the distractions of the world.

It wasn’t like Aerith had meant to disturb Cloud at training. She hadn’t even dropped him an email, or a phone text (they had exchanged numbers after their first starry night – or more like she had taken the liberty to key her number into his phone with a giggle, disregarding his startled face). She hadn’t sent a single notification to signify her presence.

…But he had turned up anyway, as if he had known she was going to be there. 

He had raised an eyebrow at her presence, asking what she was doing here. 

She had beamed radiantly at him as if all the stars smiling down from above paled next to her stellar expression, and raised her bento box in her hands, “In the mood for gyozas tonight, Cloud?” 

He had joined her silently. That night, they had barely spoken a word, credit to him being too tired from training. If the Blitzball season was approaching and the pressure was building up, it was showing on him. Cloud had looked like he was barely keeping himself awake until he dug into the gyozas she presented him. 

And the next night had been similar… He had shown up at the same spot, knowing she would be there, bento box waiting in hand. 

“What are you doing here?” He would ask. Same question. 

“Because I’m not sick of you yet,” she had said lightly with a twinkle in her eyes. 

“Gyozas today?” He asked, settling down into the seat next to her.

She shook her head, offering him his packed dinner which he accepted graciously with a nod and a soft thank-you. “Nope, thought you might appreciate something for a change.” 

He had found himself staring into a box full of onigiris with ketchup drawn all over its triangular faces into the shape of smiley-faces. On another exhausting, long day for the athlete who had trained unceasingly for the upcoming season, the sight of smiley-faced rice balls cheered his dull eyes up immensely. 

That night, as he finished his onigiris and sat beside her, she had eased into her routine of stargazing while she ate her portion, until it was _her_ turn to feel a feather-light weight against her shoulder. 

Her eyes had turned, to catch his sleeping face resting on her neck. 

A soft smile made its way to her lips. 

That night, she noticed how brightly the stars had shone, more intense than before.

“So, you gonna tell me who’s the lucky guy?” Yuffie was snatching her back to reality, her chirpy voice piercing through Aerith’s flashbacks from two nights ago.

“You’re not going to believe me, Yuf,” Aerith pulled a face. 

“Wait – don’t tell me it’s Reno!? MY Reno!?” Yuffie was shrieking, gesturing wildly to the Blitzball posters she had stuck all around her side of the house. She was president of Reno’s biggest fan club, and she hailed the Zanarkand Raider’s Blitzball player as her biggest crush. Yuffie whispered harshly into Aerith’s ears, “If it’s him, I won’t hesitate to fight you neck and tooth, Aerith.” 

Aerith laughed till her sides hurt, “No, silly! You can have Reno all to yourself.” 

“Then tell me, who?” Yuffie lowered her whispering tone, “Who is that boy who is causing you eye circles and making you return late these few nights like Cinderella?” 

Aerith flicked a playful finger at Yuffie’s forehead, “Promise you won’t judge.” 

“I won't.” Yuffie held up her pinkie finger. 

Aerith sighed, gesturing to Reno’s huge wall poster Yuffie had hung on the wall near the kitchen. “You’re going to go berserk if I tell you he’s Reno’s teammate.” 

“WHAT!? WHAT THE FUCK, GAINSBOROUGH!!!” Yuffie’s shrill shrieks reverberated across the walls of their house. 

In the next minute as Aerith revealed that she had recently met Cloud Strife, Yuffie had in the span of seconds gone from shrieking fangirl for her housemate’s blooming friendship with the Blitzball star player, to number one interrogator on any details she wanted to dig and investigate like any concerned, worried friend. 

Yuffie was 16 and young, but she would never condone anyone hurting her friend’s feelings or breaking her heart. 

“So you’re…playing Masterchef – for Cloud?” Yuffie demanded to know, pointing to the plentiful food leftovers in their kitchen.

Aerith nodded, dropping her gaze onto the floor. “It’s…a bad idea, right?” She tweedled with her thumbs. “I must look so desperate trying to think I can win his friendship by cooking my way to his stomach.” 

“Girrllllll, you’re wrong –” Yuffie took both of Aerith’s hands, held them close to her fluttering chestnut brown eyes, “If you’re talking about any man, yes, anything will do. But this is CLOUD FRIGGIN’ STRIFE – rising star player in the Blitzball world, so if you want to win his heart, you’ve got to go all out, milady.”

Determination shone in Yuffie’s eyes as she continued with fervor, “You want to cook, you cook the best fucking food he’ll ever taste in his whole damn life and make him remember you for that, girlfriend! You do whatever you can to win his heart, Aerith Gainsborough.” 

Bewildered silence met Yuffie’s statement. 

Then Aerith was smiling, her dainty fingers returning her friend’s squeeze. “Hey, thanks, Yuf.” 

“Don’t think you owe me nothing! Next time if Cloud ever introduces you to his teammates, you’re bringing me along so I can finally meet the redhead man of my Turks dreams!” 

Aerith laughed, picking up another daisy stalk between her fingers and playfully shoving it into Yuffie’s mouth.

* * *

Tifa poked her salad with a fork, deliberately taking longer than usual to chew through her food.

She was having lunch in the Life Sciences cafeteria with Cloud, after much struggle trying to find a suitable time when they could meet. Cloud had been so fussy about his timetable this entire week that it had been impossible to schedule lunch together. It was either him having another Blitzball practice, an assignment due, or having to help with the household chores before his housemates had his throat. 

Tifa couldn’t recall another time when the spikey-blonde haired boy had been this incredibly busy. In the past even with him entering the foray of professional sports, he had never neglected their friendship. His sudden change of behavior now left Tifa feeling unnerved and discomforted as she now poked another hole into the lettuce of her bowl.

“You…not hungry?” Cloud had looked up from his burger and fries seated opposite her. 

“Cloud,” She pushed her salad bowl away and stared seriously into the Blitzball player’s eyes, “We need to talk.” 

Cloud hated personal talks of any kind. His folded his arms across his chest in a defensive manner, “Uh, sure. What’s up?” 

“You didn’t show up for dinner after training the other night. Your teammates…They were all there, and Reno said you were reluctant to join us,” Tifa frowned, “Barret, Cid, Vincent – they were having the time of their lives. So… where were you? Just home, alone? I texted you, and you never replied. Twice.” She outwardly winced at the memory. 

“Uh,” Cloud looked to the floor, the fry hanging mid-way from his lips, “I…was busy elsewhere.” He wasn’t going to blurt out and admit that he had been eating out of a bento box stargazing with someone else these past nights. 

His heart squeezed at the thought of the amber-haired lady. He felt such an insane urge to protect their memory and keep it like this – between the two of them. No one else needed to know. 

“Really? Barret said you didn’t even get home after they had returned,” Her eyes peered at him closer, as if hoping she might see past him, “That’s not the point. I was waiting for you. Couldn’t you have returned my text?” 

He refused her gaze although his eyebrows were knitting together with a tinge of annoyance. He hadn’t given up his precious lunch time to sit here and be interrogated about his whereabouts.

“If I was being honest,” she stared at him over her salad bowl, “I’d think you were having midnight rendezvouses with someone else.” 

That made him choke on his burger. 

Cloud hurriedly wiped his mouth and gulped down his glass of milk.

“Never mind, Cloud,” she was sighing, before retrieving something from her pocket and sliding it across the table towards him. It was a piece of paper. “Just wanted to ask you if you might be keen to attend this with me?” 

Cloud examined it closer. “What is it?” 

“It’s a recital. Like a music concert of sorts, if you know what I mean,” she was explaining, which wasn’t really necessary as his eyes scanned the paper and his heart did the familiar flutter. 

Aerith’s face... was on the front cover of the paper. 

It was a flyer of some sort, with big bold letters in the front stating it was a classical music concert.

_ZANARKAND’ CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC  
presents  
Gaia Chamber Summer Concert   
held at Genesis Hall, Zanarkand University _

Cloud digested the text, the fluttering of his heart increasing multi-folds as he tried his darndest to ignore the exquisite face modeled on the front, violin in hands, looking lost in her own musical world. He flipped the flyer over, the concert programme on the back. 

He held his breath. There, her name. In black and white. 

There were a few other names alongside hers, but he could see nothing except the carving of her initials in monochrome font. 

“Cloud, is something wrong?” Tifa questioned.

“How…” he started, indicating to the flyer with an index finger, “How did you get this?” 

“Oh, Aerith,” Tifa pointed to the girl on the front, “the girl who’s the violin soloist for this concert—” 

“Yes – how do you know her?” He pressed. 

Tifa shot him a quizzical look, “Uh, she’s a friend of mine. She delivers flowers to us at Seventh Heaven. Those floral décor you see around the bar? They’re hers. Lovely flowers, best quality. She’ll never short-change us.” 

Tifa’s words sunk in, but did nothing to quell the rising emotions in his chest. 

Cloud sat up straighter in his chair, taking the flyer in his hands and staring at it, hard. He was quiet, lost in his own world of raging thoughts akin to the look on Aerith’s modeled face as she engrossed herself in her craft.

His eyes combed the flyer – dammit, how did she end up looking even more arresting on paper? 

He winced visibly. _Stop using the word ‘arresting’ on her, Strife. She is NOT arresting. No. Get it out of your system._

Still, rapid flashbacks of her smiling up at him under starry nights had not been easy to wipe off from his memory. Those visions, if not arresting, definitely did not fall into any other category unworthy of flattering her. 

“So…you’ll go with me, Cloud? To the concert.” 

“When is it?” 

“Tomorrow evening. Ah, I know it’s really last minute but I only met with Aerith yesterday when she was on her delivery rounds at the bar. I would love to support her after all she’s done for Seventh Heaven.”

Tomorrow…Thank God Reeve had been in his better moods lately and cancelled practice for the team to have their R&R for one frickin’ blue moon moment. 

“Yep, okay,” Cloud answered.

Surprise registered on Tifa’s face. “What? You will?” She then broke into an overjoyed smile, breaking her calm exterior so fast she stood up excitedly in her chair, salad bowl all forgotten. “Thanks, Cloud!” 

“Can…I keep this?” Cloud held the flyer between his fingers, before quickly adding, “Just so I have a copy of the program.” 

“Oh, it’s yours to keep. Pick me up tomorrow?” 

He only remembered nodding faintly, his thoughts too distracted on the violinist at the front of the flyer. His eyes saw nothing else – but her. 

“Yea, tomorrow.” He replied, more so to no one in particular. 

He thought of the few nights she had visited him tirelessly after his trainings at the Sphere. Sure, she never intended to bother him - she would say all the time, but she had always appeared in the end with packed dinners in her hands meant for him, did she not? 

And by their third night, Cloud had realized there was an unmistakable spring in his step as he headed towards the direction of the bench-stands, hoping for a chance she would be there. Even all manner of persuasion from his teammates could not lure him to after-training dinners at the Seventh Heaven. No amount of calls from his housemates could get him to answer when his phone battery was dead flat and he hadn’t bothered to charge it up. Not even the prospect of seeing Tseng and Rufus get into a striptease dare challenge in their intoxicated states at the bar was enough to drag him out of his new hangout under the stars, with _her._

And at the end of every weary night, she would be there, healing all of his bruises and exhausted bones not by any physical touch of hers, but by lighting his world up with a smile on her face – a lighthouse to the lost sailing emotions in his heart; a beacon in his dark world anchoring him to shore. 

With finality, Cloud decided it was high time he paid her a visit, in her own little world of music, just like she had done for him and expected nothing in return. 

He thought that she at least deserved that. 

* * *

If he was blown away by her on stage, he tried his best not to show it. 

It was hard – when she had taken the limelight performing her violin concerto with such virtuoso, in a hall where every acoustics was stripped to its bare minimum. Aerith didn’t disappoint even the harshest classical music critics sitting at the front, and she had left the crowd standing in wild ovation and rousing applause at the end of her performance.

Cloud couldn’t believe it. In the time he had known her, she had thoroughly downplayed her reputation as a superstar violinist who had endeared herself to hordes of fans in the classical music world. She had left out the part that she had her own following of fans – from die-hard classical music fans who cheered her name when she got on stage, to the younger generations of children and teenagers she had inspired to follow in her footsteps. 

Cloud had no classically trained musical ear, but he could sit and listen to her well-shaped violin lines she expressed on her instrument all day. Her playing was excellently clean, and with the well-timed instrumental climaxes of the orchestra behind her, it was obvious she had eclipsed every other soloist for the night. 

The audience had paid to watch _her –_ that much was obvious. 

She was spectacular on stage, possessing an innate stage presence gifted to her talent. At the end of the concert when the fans screamed their encores, Aerith had barely pacified them with another piece before the curtains closed on her with a flourish. 

Tifa was now excitedly pulling a smartly dressed Cloud backstage. “C’mon, Cloud, we got to say hello to Aerith! Wasn’t she incredible?” 

_Yep, that was bloody insane._

He couldn’t believe how modest Aerith had been, concealing her stardom and talent behind those innocent, enthralling eyes of hers. She…was so different from the girl he knew from stargazing nights. On stage, she was fearless, even intimidating in her musical prowess, wearing a long black dress that glittered like her eyes that focused on nothing but the instrument she held in her hands.

Yet, she was the same person, anyway – and that was what made her so mesmerizing. 

_Great, now I’m even using words like mesmerizing. What the fuck has gotten into me?_

First arresting, now this. He needed to get a grip—

“C’mon, we’re almost backstage!” 

As Tifa dragged Cloud towards the back of the concert hall, he realized with mortification that he was going to come face to face with her in less than a few ticking seconds. 

His ears burnt. His heart did the _thing_ , again. 

That _thing_ that entailed one too many flips, somersaults and turns. 

“Tifa, wait—” He called out desperately, wanting to halt their advance. 

“We’re just going to say hi, okay? Harmless. We’re not trespassing.” Tifa assured him. 

“It’s not that, I just don’t think it’s a good idea—” He realized they had stopped outside the backstage door only permissible to performers. _Fuck._ The door stopped in front of his face like it had stopped on the edge of his heart. Why was he so bloody nervous? 

Tifa was already knocking and asking the person on door duty if they could see Aerith and speak to her, explaining they were friends and wanted to say hi. 

Cloud considered hiding, and found a corner a little way off the backstage door. When Tifa wasn’t looking, he had sprinted to hide behind the shadows of the walkway. 

“Tifa! You’re here!” He could hear Aerith squealing in delight. He could see the back of her black dress down the length of her heeled shoes. She looked incredibly posh and classy tonight, especially the way the glitter sparkles weaved around her amber hair set tousled in its natural waves. 

From a distance, he could hear himself exhale. Mesmerizing wasn’t even a word enough to do her justice at this angle. 

Cloud wanted to punch himself silly. _STOP. THINKING. STRIFE._

He could hear Aerith and Tifa converse excitedly. Before he could anticipate the curveball, he overheard Tifa mentioning _him._

“—And I brought someone with me! Thought you might wanna meet him at last.” Tifa was shifting the topic to him. 

Fuck, fuck, _fuck._

If he timed it right, he could make it out of the exit door in fifteen seconds. 

“Oh! You mean the man you’re always telling me about?” Aerith was giggling, “Ooh, who? Where is he?” 

Flight or fight mode kicked in. _Go, STRIFE! GO!_

“Cloud! He’s over there! Come here!” 

“Cloud?” 

Shit, he was screwed. 

He sighed and stepped out of the shadows defeatedly. He could feel the ladies’ gazes settle on him, especially Aerith’s, whom he couldn’t bear to look her way. He could sense her stunned silence from where he was. 

“Here, Cloud. This is my friend, Aerith.” Tifa was tugging on his reluctant hand, and he tumbled forward clumsily as the corridor light found him and brought out the awkwardness on his face. 

Aerith stared blankly at the spikey-blonde haired man who had donned a white collared, buttoned smart shirt and dark trousers today for her concert. If she wasn’t so shellshocked, she would have found him too dashing and boyishly handsome for his own good. 

“I…” Aerith’s tone was quiet, as if she wasn’t sure where to begin, “I…didn’t know you guys were dating.” 

_We’re not! We’re not, dammit._ His mind screamed. But his bravado act betrayed him and so he remained motionless. 

Tifa was speaking again, beaming, “Oh, Cloud accompanies me all the time to events and stuff like that. So I asked him if he had wanted to come watch a music concert with me. You were amazing, Aerith!”

Aerith was looking uncertainly between her friend and Cloud, the latter still averting his gaze anywhere but on emerald eyes, instead finding his polished smart shoes suddenly very interesting. 

“Thank you, Tifa, glad to hear that,” Aerith finally responded with a small, but tired smile, “I hope Cloud had enjoyed it, too.” 

“Oh, I’m sure he did,” Tifa laughed, waving a dismissive hand, “Knowing him since childhood, he pretends he doesn’t, but I know he has a thing for culture and arts events like this.”

“…Really?” Aerith was lifting an imperceptible eyebrow now, her gaze settling quietly on Cloud. _Since childhood?_

The spikey-haired boy wanted to bury a hole beneath himself and hide inside, forever, six feet under. He opened his mouth to speak, to say something, _anything_ , to ease the discomfort and tension that had bloomed into the air, but nothing came out.

He dared a look at the amber-haired violinist who had been so brilliant on stage awhile ago, and his heart fell when she caught his eyes and instantly averted hers elsewhere. She was avoiding him – he could tell. Her eyes were scrambling to hide from him. 

Fuck, fuck, _fuck._

He had this inexplicable urge to take Aerith by the hand, grab her, and pull her out of this concert hall somewhere where he could explain everything – but he couldn’t understand. Why? Why did he have to feel this way, and what did he have to explain?

Confusion ran amok in him, confounding his brain further as he could not grasp at this new emotion clawing at him – the urge to _protect_ her from something that could potentially hurt her. 

“Tifa—” He tried again to speak, but Aerith had beat him to it, cutting them off with a nonchalant wave of her hand; or a pretense of it. 

“It was great to see you guys. I’m happy, really,” she was smiling that silly smile of hers that Cloud knew she put on each time she wasn’t feeling truly joyous but did anyway for the sake of others around her, “I’ve…I’ve got to go – autographs to sign outside and stuff to clear behind. I’ll see you guys around, okay?” 

The girls hugged and waved their goodbyes, and Aerith threw Cloud a small but heartening smile over her shoulders before disappearing beyond the door. 

Cloud swore he could hear his heart shred, but that, again, didn’t make any fucking sense. 

Why was he so concerned what Aerith thought? What did it matter? 

And before he could help it, he had gritted his teeth and hurled himself towards the door, “A-Aerith!” He had blurted out. But it was too late - security waved him away and Aerith was gone. 

Cloud stood motionless. His mind reeled. All he could think of was how desperately he wanted to fix things and remedy that stunned, doleful look on her face. He had not meant for things to go this way showing up for her concert. 

“Cloud?” Tifa stuttered from behind. 

Cloud turned around, meeting Tifa’s confused set of eyes. 

“You...know Aerith?” She was whispering now, a look on her face that told him she didn’t quite understand.

Cloud sighed irritably, then muttered an excuse to Tifa about having to rush back home to finish an assignment due. “I’ve got to go,” he told her curtly.

He turned on his feet, then ran like hell.

* * *

The next night after Blitzball practice had ended, Cloud had literally jumped out of the Sphere still dripping wet from head to toe, tearing himself out of his wet gear, and making a run for the bench-stands. He ignored his teammates yelling at him at his strange demeanor tonight. He could care less.

He ran the perimeter of the bleachers, making a full three hundred and sixty degrees to circle around the entire spectators’ area that hugged the walls of the Sphere.

He was greeted, bench-stand after another, with vacant emptiness. 

Not a sign, of _her._

His feet arrived back at the usual spot – _their_ usual spot. Funny, how they had only met thrice here now, but his feet found home above this particular cement. 

Wherein he would remember on previous nights walking up here expectantly to find her greeting him with her usual smile and packed dinner, there was nothing today. 

No Aerith, no bento box, no comforting smile to ease his weariest days.

Even the skies above were mocking him without a single speck of star tonight. 

**TBC**

* * *

a/n:

anyone recognized the FFVII:AC scene from Aerith’s childhood dreams? Yep – omg that scene of Cloud and Aerith standing back to back in AC where Cloud’s so broken always breaks my heart. Sobs.

Hoped you like this chapter, even if it’s a tad bit angsty. And I do apologize for the lack of Clerith moment – next chappie I’ll try and make up for it *winks

WAIT that’s assuming you comment/review to make my day first! ; ) you know you wanna

Myst-san   
  
  
  



	6. bibliotheca

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Cloud? Why…why are you here?”   
> “Uh,” he hastily snatched a book from the library shelf, “I…was reading.”   
> “Oh really?” She looked at the gardening book in his hands, “I didn’t know you were into gardening, Cloud.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n:   
> insert old-school university library scene… for Clerith hehe. Xd   
> and I’m going to remake some Remake lines here hehe . Never thought I’ll get to say remake twice in a sentence! Whoop.   
> myst-san

**\--x chapter six: bibliotheca**

Cloud ignored the strange look Barret was giving him across their desk in the university library.

He didn’t blame the big man for thinking their youngest housemate had finally lost it. Cloud had never, not once in the one year they had known each other since moving into the same residence, _ever_ , accompanied any of them to the library. It wasn’t like he wasn’t studious enough, but Cloud had never found the time juggling between school and Blitzball to hit up the library.

Even Cid and Vincent had questioned Cloud’s motives for joining them today for their study session.

“#@&#*(&*(, Spikey, you got cornstalks growing out of your ear? Not like we mind at all, but...” Cid had trailed off by popping a candy into his mouth – he did that when he missed his cigarette round for way too long and was starting to get withdrawals.

“School finally decided to expel you if you fail your next module grade?” Vincent asked with a smirk on his face. Cloud had shot him daggers across the table, gesturing a cut-throat sign under his neck as an ominous warning for the older man looking too pleased at having touched a sore point.

The university library was bursting with schools of people looking for a quiet spot to study, and Cloud had insisted they take the table nearest to the entrance just because the ‘lighting was better’. It had been a long argument back and forth between Barret and him about picking the right spot until all of them eventually relented and gave way to the youngest boy’s decision. It wasn’t everyday Cloud joined them, after all. 

Cloud stared at his phone for the umpteenth times and refreshed his email inbox again, and again.

Nothing, not a single message, from _her._ A few days had passed since he had last caught her in concert, and the radio silence that met him ever since had driven him nearly mental. He didn’t even bother to question why he felt that way – only that her absence now ate him from the inside.

The past three nights spent with her under the starry skies – Cloud couldn’t explain it. When he had first met her, he had judged her enthusiasm and eternal optimism to be on the bothersome side. For someone like him who sought solace from wedging a distance between him and others around, she had proven to be a vexing whirlpool – one that pulled him and drag him under her effect no matter how hard he resisted.

Yet, with that incomprehensible force, she had emitted a sort of light that inhabited his previously cold and bleak world, so much so that when she had departed from his center, it was as if she had taken all of that celestial luminescence away, ricocheting him back to his previously cold, dark world depraved of illumination. How was his life before they had collided that fateful day in university? Had it always been this dusky, gloomy and catastrophically dull?

Cloud’s eyes burnt holes into his phone, its locked screen silent with no new notifications. He refreshed it over, and over again, willing it do something. An email from her. A message. Anything. Any hint of her existence that could usher some sort of sick hope. 

_C’mon, c’mon, do something._

Cloud looked up from his pretense of doing schoolwork and directed his gaze at the library entrance. He was banging on the small, miniscule probability that _she_ would pass by these doors today. After all, the library housed all the sheet music and university texts that even her faculty needed – so why not try his luck? Yet, it was one thing trying to avoid the suspicions of his housemates, it was another trying to cover up the nervousness wrecking his guts as he tried not to fidget restlessly in his chair.

Unexpectedly, a jovial squeal had broken out near the front of library, and all heads turned to shush the inconsiderate, disturbing visitor. Cloud blinked as he saw a tiny, petite girl who looked no more than an older teenager with short dark bob hair, sending a gleeful grin in his direction. Was she…squealing at the sight of him? Cloud hoped it was not another fangirl he had to deal with right now. The reason why he liked hanging out with his housemates on campus was because no other girls dared to approach him when he was surrounded by an intimidating looking bunch of men who looked as approachable as a frosty winter descending on a summer’s town.

But it seemed that girl was still pointing her finger in his face, and before Cloud could piece two to two together, a familiar figure had materialized in his vision, taking the young girl by the arm and dragging her away into the depths of the library.

His heart caught in his throat.

That unmistakable shade of braided hair.

_Aerith._

The amber-haired lady had hastily pulled the younger girl away and both had disappeared into the multitude of library shelves beyond. Cloud strained his neck to try and keep an eye on them, but they had slipped away from sight.

Cloud sank back into his seat, confusion running amok in his eyes.

…Was Aerith, avoiding him?

He was certain there was no way she could have missed him in the library entrance – it wasn’t like he was made out of glass, certainly not invisible.

Cloud stood up, pushing the chair loudly behind him, attracting annoyed attention from onlookers around. He barely paid any attention to his inconsiderate act, adamant on not letting slip this chance now that Fate had shoved Aerith literally into his way. The compelling urge to seek her out was propelling him into action before his mind could rationalize why. 

In consequence of his distracted loudness, Cid had shot him a stern, reprimanding look, “@#&*@(&* Sit the fuck down and do your work, Spike and stop causing unnecessary distraction.”

“I…I’ll be back,” Cloud breathlessly muttered, and then scurried off into the library after Aerith.

In the wake of his abrupt disappearance, he had not noticed his housemates exchanged knowing glances. Barret had coughed to mask his snigger, and Cid gave a long, low whistle that could not hide his mirth.

“Not even wild horses can hold him back,” Vincent said aloud with an amused look on his face, hiding his smirk behind his university textbook.

* * *

Aerith willed herself to calm down as she sought refuge behind a tall library shelf.

She rubbed her hands together for warmth and pulled the sleeves of her pink pullover over her fingers. It was so chilly in here, but the iciness against her skin had been nothing compared to the sharp frostiness that bit at her chest when her eyes had chanced upon _him_ in the library studying. She understood why she was so nervous. Coupled to the fact her heart usually flop over at the sight of Cloud, was the new pang of loss and dejection compounding together to cause her to flee upon seeing him.

 _It’s not like I can help it._ She sought to catch her breath as she leant against the shelves, her pulse still racing. When he had turned up for her concert, all emotions of gaiety at another excellent concert pulled off that night had been obliterated and replaced by a raw blow to her chest when she had seen Tifa by his side. They had attended her concert, together.

Why was she so surprised, or upset, anyway?

She drew a small, staggering breath.

Because…because if it was any other girl by his side, perhaps she still stood a miniscule amount of chance at striking up a friendship with Cloud. But, but _this_ was Tifa – most sought-after, most beautiful girl on campus every man lusted and desired for, and had every woman drawing envious sighs and swoons.

Comparing herself to Tifa – did Aerith even dared envision? Nothing had struck at her self-confidence and crushed her esteem more than knowing she stood zero chance next to the jet black-haired girl. Tifa, with her voluptuous figure, gorgeous ruby wine-eyes, smooth, silky black hair – any men would have to be a blind fool not to want or be with her. Cloud, least of all.

She absent-mindedly traced her finger over the spine of a library book on the shelf.

Now Aerith wasn’t one who usually felt insecure, nor inferior – no, she liked to see herself more of a jagged tile that didn’t fit into the tessellation; a work in progress that inspired artwork, or even a rainy day that could still form a beautiful rainbow when given the chance. Even as an ugly, homely sweater, she pined that one day she could still be someone’s favourite sweater that warmed his heart.

Still, this newfound ache to crave for someone who now felt as distant as a star in the cosmic universe, instilled in her a profound loneliness.

She pinched her cheeks. “Cheer up, Aerith,” she determinedly told herself.

She distracted herself by thumbing through the spines of the library books before finding a title on floral arrangement she thought useful for developing her artistry in her line of work. She browsed the pages, before stopping at a picture exhibiting a beautifully-decorated cafe full of yellow lilies. The lily – not unlike the one she had given him on their first meeting.

 _Oh crumbs, there I go again._ She slammed the book shut, affronted at her disastrous distractedness today. She was about to return the title on the shelf, when something through the gaps of the books caught her attention.

She had glimpsed a striking shade of blue eyes – ones she would never have mistaken. 

_W-Wha?_

Right across her, hiding behind the shelf, Cloud was slipping into full-fledged panic. How the actual _fuck_ did an athlete who could usually move at lightning speed with the dexterity of a ninja get caught trying to sneak up on a girl at a university library? That was an amateurish, downright stupid attempt to spy on someone, and Cloud swore under his breath. _Stupid, Cloud, stupid._

He had ducked out of sight no sooner than she had cried out his name in half disbelief half astonishment.

“C-Cloud? Is that you?” She was peering at him now through the shelves littered with gaps of holes from missing library books in place. Her eyes the hue of every green forest rimmed with emerald light burnt holes into his aquamarine ones, and for that single second where their gazes met across a standing bookshelf, Cloud reflexively shivered at how her eyes had reminded him of summertime – the old, familiar trace of sun-rays that had warmed his world a few days prior to her sudden disappearance from his life.

Anyhow, he was busted – might as well quit the act.

He gave a sheepish shrug of his shoulders and took a few steps towards her where she stood. He swore his knees nearly buckled and gave way as he neared her. The familiar scent of her floral shampoo hit him all at once like a dizzying wave and brought him back immediately to that night where her hair had tickled his nose when she had fallen asleep on him.

“Hey, Aerith,” he greeted, putting on a most nonchalant air about him, his voice sounding calmer than his nerves. He hoped his bravado was going to pull this off.

“Cloud?” She looked around, utterly confused, before she realized where they were and lowered her volume, “Why…why are you here?” She wasn’t going to deny that her heart had skipped a beat thinking that he might be possibly here, for _her._

“Uh,” he hastily snatched a book from the shelf, “I…was reading.”

That earned him a giggle from her lips – a sound he had not realized how much he had missed.

“Oh, really?” She arched an eyebrow, “I didn’t know you were into gardening, Cloud.”

He looked in mortification at the book cover and realized he had picked up a book about planting succulents around a house’s backyard. Fuck.

“Uh, yeah, guess I have a green thumb lately,” he stuttered, hoping to salvage some of his bruised pride.

That intensified her giggles, and by the time she had calmed down, a smile had curved her lips in the most delightful way he hadn’t missed.

“So cactuses are your thing now, Cloud? Sure you’re not going to miss Blitzball?” She teased, an impish glint dancing in her eyes.

He snorted, “Well, a man can have many hobbies.”

She winked sportively, “I’m sure, Cloud.”

And just as quickly, the playfulness in their conversation subsided. A certain awkwardness hung in the air before they broke it at the same.

“So…”

“So…”

They both looked each other with rounded eyes. He looked away, abashed. She let out a soft giggle.

“You first, Cloud,” she gently told him.

He eyed her sideways, before his tone dropped lowly, “You been busy? Haven’t seen you after trainings.”

He was met with her silence. He watched her from the corner of her eyes – caught her shifting on her feet uncomfortably as if thinking how to answer him. How could she tell him the truth? The blunt honesty of her feelings would probably ruin everything.

“I…” She shook her head, wondering how best to do this, and decided on dropping all intentions to lie through her teeth. She was just going to have to be frank and open with her thoughts. She was biting her lips.

“Is Tifa like…your girlfriend?” _Okay, Aerith, that was NOT how your words were supposed to turn out._

Beside her, she could sense Cloud’s alarm. He seemed startled, fully taken aback by her question.

Too late, she thought. Sheer panic ensued inside her. Honestly – did she want to hear his answer? More often than not, the truth hurt. Perhaps it was best she be kept ignorant of their relationship—

“No!” Cloud had cried out, interrupting her thoughts. As if realizing his voice had been louder than he wanted, he spoke again, this time in a hushed whisper. “No, she’s not my girlfriend, Aerith.”

She dared to look at him. Uncertainty was clouding her eyes, and he saw through all of that. He had this sudden notion to shake her for being so senseless. How could she have thought of that?

“But… she’s someone special.” She stated, as if matter-of-factly.

“No, it’s not like that,” he was shaking his head vehemently, “It’s more like…”

She was watching a multitude of emotions flash through his eyes, and Aerith suddenly felt shame wash over her. She couldn’t believe she had let her insecurity eat her up like a monster and got the best of her feelings. Honestly, Cloud didn’t owe her an explanation. And she hadn’t meant to pry into his life, either.

“I…don’t know how to explain,” he trailed off, looking awkwardly at the floor before lifting his gaze up to hers again. When his eyes bore into hers, she thought she could drown forever in those pools of a thousand blue. 

She shook herself from her thoughts and decided she needed to stop sounding like a total idiot in front of him. “Sorry, Cloud, I didn’t mean it that way.” She wished she could take her words all back.

“Never mind,” he raked a half frustrated half exasperated hand through his hair. He noticed an unusual look of dispiritedness steal over her expression, and knew it suited her not one bit. In a last resort to lighten up the atmosphere, he had blurted out his next words before he could help it.

“We…have training tomorrow night,” he said, and then broke off as if unsure how to finish his sentence.

His damned ego wouldn’t allow him to go further as to ask her directly if she had wanted to come watch. That would require an amount of thicker skin and a lot more guts that he didn’t yet possess, so he had settled instead for leaving his statement hanging, hoping she would pick up on his implication, anyway.

He figured she must have, for her eyes had acquired a glow he had sorely missed seeing, and her eyes now shone at him. He reminded himself to breathe – her eyes were like the stars; the way they drew him in to explore the swirling depths within.

“I’d love to, Cloud,” she said in hushed tones, remembering they were still in the library.

His heart leapt into his throat.

She continued with a small apologetic shake of her head, though, “But I’ve got a concert rehearsal tomorrow night at the hall, unfortunately—”

“Ah, don’t worry—” He hadn’t meant to impose.

“Raincheck?” Her eyes met his, and his heart reeled at the sight of them.

“Sure,” he breathed. Managed to.

She nodded, an unmistakable smile curving her lips. It touched him somewhere deep.

“You…You didn’t mention about how popular you are, by the way,” he was referring to her legion of fans he had witnessed at the concert hall.

“Oh,” she shook her head dismissively, as if it was no big deal that she had spent the whole night after the concert signing tons of autographs for her fans, “they just love music, Cloud. And I’m just a musician to please a crowd – that’s my job. I’m definitely not hounded by crazy fans like you around the clock.” She nudged him playfully in the elbow.

His eyes sought where she had touched him.

“Well,” he continued, “you’re still more of a superstar than you let on.”

“Oh, please,” she pulled a face at him, “Nothing compared to the celebrity you are, Mister Star Player.”

He resisted rolling his eyes, “Hn, don’t really care about that.”

She smiled mischievously, “I see. Care more about succulents then, huh, Mister?”

A low chuckle escaped his lips. She grinned.

“Oh,” he suddenly remembered, “the opening game for the Blitzball Tournament starts this weekend. You…coming?”

He was referring to the biennial megaevent that the whole of Gaia had been waiting for. There had been a whole different air to Zanarkand in preparation for the biggest highlight of the year – streets were bustling louder, people were chatting more excitedly about which Blitzball team they were rooting for, and betting pools were beginning to open for gamblers to place their bets on winning odds and whatnot.

Aerith gave an apologetic look. “Sorry, Cloud, I’d love to watch you play. You’re so amazing, you know that. But the tickets…” She looked embarrassed. “They’re too expensive. It’s going to take me at least fifty bouquets of flowers to sell for me to cough up that amount of Gil.”

He was quick to jump in – he hated having caused her any remote embarrassment, least of all for not having the financial means to attend a game. “I understand, don’t worry about it.”

She offered him a hopeful smile. “Break a leg?”

A smile hinted at the corner of his mouth. Dammit, he was losing his coolness too often around her.

He nodded. “Yep.”

Their gazes lingered for a second too long, both at a loss of words in initiating the next conversation. A strange sort of hypnosis seemed to have held them captive together for a moment unshattered by time. 

“Aerith!!! That’s where you are!” A familiar voice cried out, and the spell between them broke.

Cloud cast his eyes towards the source of voice and recognized the joviality of it belonging to the girl he had seen earlier with Aerith at the library entrance.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere! Knew you’d be at the flower and fauna section!”

Yuffie had literally jumped onto Aerith’s back, hanging off the latter’s delicate frame in an exuberant hug from the back. Cloud wondered how much caffeine this girl must have consumed on a daily basis to possess this amount of hyperactivity.

“Cloud, Yuffie’s my housemate,” Aerith introduced, hoping Yuffie hadn’t yet scared off Cloud. 

Yuffie was now staring open-mouthed at Cloud, and she was shrieking, entirely oblivious – that, or she just didn’t care – that they were in a library. “Oh my god! Aerith, so here you are with Cloud Strife – two of you flirting all this while when I was looking for you!” 

Cloud fought a furious blush surfacing onto his cheeks. They were _not_ flirting.

“Yuffie,” Aerith shot her friend a warning look, before glancing at Cloud, “Yuffie’s a big fan of Blitzball, Cloud.”

“Yep! And I’m president of Reno’s biggest fan club! Yuffie!” She announced proudly, offering Cloud a introductory handshake, “Nice to meet you, star player Cloud!”

Cloud looked hesitatingly at her hand, but he already knew there was no effin’ way he was going to return the gesture. Her shrill voice hurt his ears – how did Aerith tolerate the amount of noise this hyperactive girl produced in their apartment?

Yuffie hadn’t seem to notice his lack of response. “So you’re the one who’s been stealing Aerith almost every night on a midnight rendezvous, huh?” The young girl was mercilessly teasing him with a smirk on her face.

Cloud wanted to sink into the floor with embarrassment. They were _not_ having midnight rendezvouses….Or were they?

“Well guess what, Mr. Cloud – I don’t mind you stealing my best friend away from me, only if you promise me to introduce me to Reno the next time, ok?” She was badgering him endlessly, at which point an embarrassed Aerith was tugging at Yuffie’s arm frantically, pulling her out of the way before she stirred up any more scene in the library. Onlookers were starting to take notice, and Aerith wanted none of the attention.

Aerith gave Cloud a frantic wave of her hand, “I’ll see you around, Cloud!” And when she made sure Yuffie wasn’t looking, she mouthed a quick ‘Sorry’ to him – obviously on behalf of her friend’s antics.

Cloud suppressed a chuckle, watching the amber-haired lady desperately trying to drag the hyperactive younger girl away while the latter was flailing her arms widely around her trying to break free.

“Aerith!! C’mon! I’m just trying to get Cloud to introduce me to Reno!!” was Yuffie’s last audible shriek before the pair disappeared from his sight.

When he was sure they were finally gone, the spikey-haired athlete finally allowed the corner of his lips to lift, ever the slightest.

That girl Yuffie was loud as hell, but she was hilarious – he could see why Aerith was fond of her housemate tremendously.

Also….Cloud now thought back to Aerith’s words, his thoughts darting like quicksilver.

She had mentioned the Tournament tickets being too expensive despite wanting to be there for the game, and something akin to a lightbulb had gone off in his brain at the instant.

… _That_ , he knew, was something he could fortunately remedy for her.

* * *

Cloud sank into his couch, the emotions in his eyes fathoms deep.

It was as if his thoughts had been darting back and forth without signs of ebbing for the last hour since they had returned back to their apartment. Beside him, Vincent looked up from his TV programme featuring some animal documentary, and the older man was outwardly expressing his displeasure at being disturbed by Cloud’s disquieted state.

He shot Cloud a piercing glare, “What is wrong with you today, Strife?” With Cloud looking so lost in thought beside him, it was hard to focus on watching the animals on screen. 

A serious look had settled on Cloud’s expression. Vincent didn’t think he had ever seen the boy so deliberate on speaking his thoughts.

“Do you…” Cloud started to speak, but then cleared his throat.

Vincent immediately understood the issue at hand on Cloud’s mind was something awkward, perhaps a little embarrassing to him. The younger boy was obviously trying to communicate.

“Do I what?” Vincent repeated his question, trying to coax the boy out of his reticent shell. He knew Cloud spent too much time in the blue spherical pool to ever cultivate the necessary skills that allowed him to interact like a functioning member of the male species. That, and the fact that the boy was inherently an aloof prick who regarded everyone as an annoyance invading his space bubble.

“Um,” Cloud was fluffing the couch pillow in his bid to channel his nervousness elsewhere, “I hope you don’t mind me asking, Vincent—”

“Look, Strife,” Vincent cut in, frustration simmering in his tone, “Just speak your damn mind.”

Cloud grimaced – expressing himself had never been his forte.

Vincent thankfully picked his discomfort up and decided to adopt the role of the older brother figure. _Strife better be goddamn grateful he’s as easy to read as glass and I know what the fuck is on his mind._

“This is about women, right?” Vincent asked, so matter-of-factly, Cloud choked on the cold milk in his throat.

The latter quickly wiped down the beads of milk that had trickled down the side of his lips. “How did you—”

“Because I’m not dumb. So what do you want to ask about the opposite sex?” Vincent’s tone was brutally blunt. The older man couldn’t believe _himself_ of all people had to be the one to educate the their star player about women. Where were Cid and Barret when they were needed to act like father figures to their youngest housemate? Absent. Fuckin’ great news.

Vincent sighed. Were they actually sitting down on a couch now having _the talk?_ Gaia help him.

Color rose in Cloud’s cheek. “I meant to ask…Um,” He then tried to inject coolness into his tone, “What…what does it mean when someone avoids you?”

Vincent shot him a quizzical look. “What? You mean like why a woman would ever ignore or avoid you?”

Cloud nodded, sinking lower into the couch while taking a nervous sip at his milk to calm his pulse.

“Hn,” Vincent could not help but smirk, “So our legendary Blitzball player finally got snubbed?”

“No, it’s not like that!” Cloud snapped, before realizing he still needed Vincent’s two pence worth of opinion, and quietened down in his seat.

“Alright, I get it,” Vincent decided to stop teasing the young boy. The older man switched off the TV so he could consider Cloud’s question seriously. “You mean, in what context would a woman ever do that.”

“Yep.”

“Well, Cloud,” Vincent gestured the number three with his fingers, “I can only think of three reasons.”

Aquamarine eyes widened in curiosity. “What?”

“ **A** – you’ve pissed her off by saying something awful,” Vincent continued, ignoring Cloud’s ever-growing confusion on his face, “ **B** – you’ve made her upset by NOT saying or doing something—”

“Wait – why would a woman be upset when we don’t say or do something?”

Vincent sighed. Cloud had so much to learn. “Because sometimes they want _us_ to take the initiative. Either that or we must have forgotten something – like a birthday, or an anniversary.”

Cloud considered those scenarios, then shook his head, “So what’s **C**?”

“ **C** …” Vincent paused for effect, before breaking into a smirk, “You’ve made her jealous by either letting her catch you with another woman or you’re just plainly fucking cheating on her.”

That sent Cloud’s brains spinning endlessly. _What the fuck? Why are women such complicated creatures? Why isn’t there a simpler equation to break their behavior down like those Life Sciences questions I get in my assignments?_

_Plus if I ever have a girlfriend I would never fuckin’ cheat – what a shitty thing to insinuate._

Vincent peered closer at Cloud, “So Strife, which is it? That girl in your mind – she caught you cheatin’?”

“No, I—Never!” Cloud exclaimed, before sinking deeper into his couch, his chest deflating suddenly.

He realized…He realized Vincent might have hit the nail on the head. Was this why Aerith had disappeared like a swish of a magic wand after she had saw him with Tifa? Was that why she had stopped waiting for him at the Colosseum? Was that why she had asked if Tifa was his girlfriend?

Cloud physically hammered his head with the ball of his fist. He was having a bloody migraine thinking.

Vincent spoke on the boy’s behalf, breaking down Cloud’s rampant thoughts into logical, plain deduction. “So…Let’s assume she did see you with someone else, and then…she pulled the invisibility cloak trick.”

Cloud remained immobile as Vincent’s words hit him like a truck, then he exhaled deeply, his eyes sombrely returning the older man’s gaze.

Vincent took it as a yes, anyway. It was so damned obvious, he wanted to chuckle, but for Cloud’s sake, he shut up for the wiser.

“You know, Cloud, I’d like to say you’re screwed, but, if you know what to do, things can still be salvaged.” Vincent never thought in a gazillion years he would be the one giving out relationship advice to an inept fool like Cloud who comprehended human emotions like an inanimate object.

“Like what?” Cloud had sat up alerted in the couch, ditching his previously despondent posture.

Vincent looked at the boy. _Well, well, the day has arrived. Strife being interested in the opposite sex_ , He couldn’t wait to tell Cid and Barret all of this.

“Why don’t you try taking the initiative for once? Or have you not tried it?” Vincent raised a questioning eyebrow.

Cloud’s motionless demeanour answered that he obviously had not done any of that ‘initiative’ sort of thing. Vincent sighed. Yep, that boy was truly hopeless. His experience with the female species had to be near zero.

“Initiative?” Cloud repeated the word, as if foreign-sounding from his lips.

The younger boy nearly jumped out of the sofa when a hand behind him clamped down on his shoulder, then slung around his neck in a big, but friendly crush. Cloud didn’t need to turn around to know it was Cid the culprit behind looking not at all guilty for throttling him. 

“Initiative, Spike boy,” Cid emphasized – he had been obviously been eavesdropping. His eyes were full of mirth as he put an unlit cigarette in his mouth, “You ought to try it sometimes.”

“It means making the first move,” Vincent explained, “you can’t always keep a girl waiting.”

Cloud narrowed his eyes, more so in deep thought than irritation. “Huh?” He was still confused.

Cid punched him in the shoulder. “Fuck, Spike, man up, will you? That’s the problem with you, star player. You think you’re always so fucking good-looking and girls are hounding after you all the time, so you’ve never had to work up your lazy ass to go after anyone. Stop being such a spoilt pussy.”

Cid was now staring sternly like a father would reprimanding a son, “The best women in life – I’m tellin’ ya, Cloud – you’ve got to go after them. They don’t drop like apples into your backyard.”

Cloud folded his arms defensively around his chest, trying hard not to take offence that Cid had called him a damn ‘spoilt pussy’.

“So man up, and for a change, go do something for the girl you like, idiot,” Cid flicked Cloud affectionately in the forehead.

Cloud averted his gaze. Cid’s words, however, had hit him like a bullet train, leaving him pondering over them for a while to come. He then found himself muttering in a bid to salvage some of his wounded pride, “This isn’t about me liking any girl…”

“Yea, yea, whatever,” Cid rolled his eyes, “Whether you want to listen to us old men in relationships with more experience in the women department, is up to you, kiddo.”

“I’m not a kiddo, stop calling me that,” Cloud deadpanned.

“Yea, you are, until you man up in time for the girl you like.”

“I said, this isn’t about me liking any girl!”

Cloud stood up in a huff, taking his glass of milk with him and storming back to his bedroom, leaving behind a very amused Vincent and Cid exchanging glances.

“He’s still got miles to go,” Vincent remarked bemusedly, “give him a break.”

“Guess I got to give him some credit,” Cid laughed, “Poor boy IS trying.”

Back in his bedroom, Cloud dove into his bedsheets, hoping the comfortable fluffy blankets would drown out the rising colours on his cheeks.

Him – take the initiative? Whatever did that mean?

And Cid and Vincent had mentioned about making the first move…

Cloud’s mind sought to make logical deductions of whatever the hell his housemates’ complex words had meant. The boy sighed, deciding to sleep it off and hoping he would wake up tomorrow having been enlightened about whatever this ‘initiative’ thing he would try and execute.

He had better have a solid plan up his sleeves by then ‘manning up’ in the words of Cid trying to approach Aerith one more time.

* * *

**TBC**

a/n:

AHHHH I have massively massively enjoyed Cid and Vincent acting all big bros and dads for Cloud educating him on the *ahem birds and bees. Never thought Vincent would be so knowledgeable about women but he IS dating Lucrecia shrugs and Cid is so daddy-figure I wanna squish him with a hug! Gahh

Yes anyone else recognize some Remake lines here? Hehehe xd ‘Is Tifa like your girlfriend’ part

Yeahhhh! I know Cloud is still a hundred percent dense, but now that he has this whole ‘initiative’ idea in his head, I promise next chapter is going to be him being less than a hundred percent dense and trying to go after Aerith LOL

….AFTER you comment/review and make my day! ^^ ahem

Myst-san


	7. initiative

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Here,” he shoved something from his lap towards her, “this is for you.”  
> She eyed it curiously, then gasped.  
> “You-You brought food!?” She was opening up the takeaway box in her hands, “Cloud…are you here to visit me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: 
> 
> so here’s the chapter where Cloud executes his ‘initiative’ and ‘trying to man up for Aerith’ plan! XD  
> our poor boy is learning the ropes hehe slowly but surely. Let’s all give him our full support, shall we ^^
> 
> myst-san

**\---x chapter seven: initiative**

Cloud thanked the stars that Reeve had been in his better moods today and had dismissed the Blitzball team right on time.

Right after his coach had blown the whistle to signal the players it was time to clear out of the spherical pool, marking the end of their evening training session, Cloud had bolted right in and out of the locker room in such a fervid manner that none of his teammates had even managed to catch a glimpse of him in his frenzied hustle.

That left a very befuddled redhead Turk looking around for their star player to no avail, and at the questioning glances of Tseng and Rufus who demanded to know where Cloud was, Reno and Rude had been coerced to find the boy before he purposefully skipped out on another one of their infamous drinking sessions at Seventh Heaven.

Reno gave a grunt. Their idiotic star player was M.I.A. again. Beside him, Rude was knocking open toilet doors one after another to seek out the boy. Both Turks looked each other, equally stumped as to where Cloud had scurried off the moment Reeve’s whistle had gone off.

“Guess we gotta get him pissed drunk another day,” Reno remarked with a tone of resignation.

Rude pretended to nod solemnly, although inwardly he didn’t mind so much Cloud not being present at their after-training drinks lately. That meant without the spikey-haired boy, Tifa’s attention wouldn’t be so much distracted that she couldn’t pay another man some attention – said particular man involving the bald-head Turk, Zanarkand Raiders’ first choice goalkeeper. Rude gave a quick sweep of his gaze across the locker room – still no sign of Cloud – then gave his buddy a nod that indicated they should just go ahead. He would grab Tseng and Rufus - Elena would be waiting outside for them usual – and they would head over to the bar tonight with or without Cloud.

Outside the locker room, Cloud had no idea how he had managed to still summon up the energy to sprint all that distance from the Colosseum back to campus after that intense training session with his team. He ignored his sore body and aching muscles crying out their fatigue, but he knew the adrenaline pumping in his veins was enough to keep him covering the next mile of the distance back. It was way past 9pm, and although Reeve had been merciful today, Cloud had still missed the last bus that would take him back to University. That left him with few transportation options and he wasn’t willing to unnecessarily fork out taxi money – so he had decided to make a run for it.

Along the way, his thoughts were darting like quicksilver, thinking back to yesterday’s moment on the sofa with his housemates when they had thrown a dousing berate at him. Cloud knew although Cid had raised his voice, the older man hadn’t meant it sternly. Cid often disguised his kindness and fatherly characteristics behind his potty mouth, but he meant well.

And Cloud had seriously mulled over Vincent and Cid’s words overnight, waking up reinvigorated this morning. 

_Take the initiative. Make the first move._

That – was kind the gist of what he took away from the words of the older men in his apartment. Well, that much of it, anyway.

Cloud paused in his tracks. Above him, the velvet dark sky canopied the city like a masterful artpiece, bringing Zanarkand alive with raw energy, one that melded with the ongoing festive celebrations in the nearby streets that were beginning to stir as visitors and tourists streamed in from all over Gaia in hopes to catch the upcoming Blitzball Tournament. Wherein nightfall usually ushered in stillness, the atmosphere had altered considerably these nights to one boasting of higher spirits and jovial merriment as people began to host street parties. Night markets and mini carnivals had visibly sprung up across the city, too.

Cloud had to admit. Aside from enjoying his time playing his sport to entertain the local folks, his next favourite thing about Tournament season had always been the undoubtable sense of community and scale of human emotions at its happiest. Blitzball over the last two decades had been the element that effectively brought people together regardless of city or intelligence or identity and it seemed during these halcyon days, the world temporarily left its troubles and chaos behind, and people forgot their usual routines and professional responsibilities even for just a while.

He caught sight of a food truck up ahead as he whizzed by a small night market that had recently been set up en route to campus. Cloud backtracked his steps, hastily made a purchase, and bolted on.

He could hear his heart beat - every single pound in his chest. There was a turbulent force that persistently built up in his chest that Cloud couldn’t understand if it stemmed from him being out of breath from all that running, or something else. Yet for now as he urged his calves to continue forth on his advance, he attributed these queer symptoms due to over-exertion after a long day at Blitzball training.

His eyes glimpsed the shining stars that spilled over the black marbled sky, and he hoped he was on time.

* * *

The night sky was always a welcome sight to Aerith, and to her, every pattern above regardless of its shape and constellation was regarded like magic at its first light.

Aerith would think of those faraway stars that stilled like an old photograph captured in time, and felt comforted knowing someone out there was probably looking at them, too, at the same time. Growing up believing that had always eased her loneliness, finding solace that someone else was equally sharing the joys of the darting galaxies above with her.

She hung her violin case behind her shoulder, exiting the regal marbled entrance of Genesis Hall, into the night. Her feet found the first of the long palatial flight of steps leading down to the pavement that would take her back to the main campus. After a weary day of long rehearsals, the violin on her back weighed like a sack of bricks, and she was so spent she could hardly summon any of her depleted energy left to walk the remaining distance back to her residence.

A vision of the spikey-haired man flashed through her mind, and a giggle bubbled in her throat. She couldn’t believe Cloud had actually sought _her_ out at the library yesterday – had it meant anything in context? That perhaps he had wanted this friendship as much as her? She had undoubtedly been crushed, and admittedly a little jealous on her part at having seen him and Tifa together, even deciding after that it was best to avoid him altogether in order to stamp out any hopes on her pining after the spikey-haired boy, even if it was just a chance at friendship. 

Yet… he had clarified his relationship with Tifa yesterday was purely platonic for now, and that meant it wasn’t exactly unethical on Aerith’s part to continue seeing Cloud…right?

Biting her lips, Aerith rubbed her stomach, hearing it growl in hunger, protesting for food. She wasn’t just weary to the bones— she had barely gotten any time to grab a substantial bite earlier, and was _starving._

 _How am I going to find food at this time of the day?_ She thought miserably about all the food cafeterias closed and hoped for the best that she would discover some precious leftovers or frozen TV dinners she could heat up in her apartment refrigerator later.

Aerith paused in her tracks – she could just make out a familiar silhouette in the shadows, sitting at the bottom of the stairs. She squinted. That figure surely looked familiar…

She took a few more steps, and her vision just about identified the mysterious person ahead.

Her heart sprung – she could hear every pounding, every beat.

It could not – there was no way it could be…

“Cloud?” She could barely breathe.

Said mysterious shadow looked up. As she loomed closer, she realized to her stunned amazement – that it was indeed, _Cloud Strife._

Her heartbeat was doing the usual tango whenever she sensed him near; she prayed her limbs wouldn’t give way.

_What? Why? Why was he here?_

Aerith didn’t understand.

She moved closer. He sensed her presence, and his eyes the color of ocean met her forest-green ones. A moment passed; an inexplicable surge of bolt that was sent both ways causing each to shudder involuntarily. 

“What are you doing here Cloud? At this hour?” Aerith looked utterly confused. Her eyes were full of life, yet at all at once uncertain, confused and amazed.

She looked around her environment – there was no other landmark in this vicinity of their campus, except for Genesis Hall in all its grandeur. So why was he here? And—

“And don’t you have training?” She was babbling on. Aerith always babbled when she was a tangle of emotions – nervousness, shyness, joy and excitement bubbling within her chest altogether, and she couldn’t decipher how best to manage all of that maelstrom of emotions eating at her the moment her eyes had set on him tonight.

“Hey,” he had softly spoken into the night, not making any move to stand up.

Silence met his greeting, then a soft smile broke out on her face. One he could sense from where he was sitting.

“Hey to you, too, Cloud,” she now approached his side, deciding to take her seat next to him on the steps. “So, care to tell me why you’re here?”

He couldn’t help it – when her eyes tore into his, it was his undoing.

He felt the same old walls around him crumbling into mush around her. He was at the same time too painfully aware of the tendrils of her hair that she had let down tonight for her concert rehearsal now tickling his nose, sending a fleeting wave of dizziness through his head. 

“Here,” he shoved something from his lap towards her, “this is for you.”

She eyed it curiously – then realization struck her and she could only gasp audibly.

“You-You brought food!? Cloud…” She was rendered speechless as she accepted the takeaway packet from his hands. She stared mutely at him, then at the food. “I…I’m afraid I don’t understand, Cloud.”

He said nothing, only running an exasperated hand through his hair. “Um,” was all he managed.

It was enough to cause her to burst into giggles, earning a slightly annoyed look from him.

“What’s so funny?”

“Are you,” the sides of her lips were curved into a stellar smile that shook him to his core, “Are you here to visit me, Cloud?”

He snorted, looking away. _So what if I am?_

“And you were kind enough to bring me food,” she was opening up the takeaway box in her hands, her eyes shining with an emotion he couldn’t yet comprehend, “Aww, Cloud, you have no idea how much this means to me.”

His heart squeezed. He tried hard not to think how arresting she looked under the moon. It was hard, with moonshine illuminating her cascading hair down her shoulders and the speckles of stardust catching the rosiness of her cheeks turning it a shade pinker. Even nightfall could not hide the greenness of her eyes, nor mask the porcelain of her delicate skin against her long ivory evening dress she had worn for her rehearsal. He was not used to seeing her like this all dolled up glamorously…and he was absolutely gobsmacked.

Still, he was going to pretend his heart was the last thing malfunctioning and deny that his body was sending his senses into the red alert territory.

“Eat it then,” he said lamely, “You must be hungry.”

“I’m starving,” she was rubbing her stomach in a rueful grin. She opened her takeaway and gave a small delighted squeal. He never took his eyes off her as she unboxed his food.

“You like it?”

“I _love_ takoyakis!” She was fervently picking up her chopsticks and beginning to dig in. Then she stopped and stared at him. “You…You must be hungry, too, right? Did you come here right after your training?”

He admitted with a slight nod, “Uh, yeah, don’t worry about it.” He brought up another takeaway box from his side and showed it to her. “I’ve got my share of takoyakis, too.” 

She giggled, “That’s the spirit, Cloud!”

He had successfully suppressed the smile threatening his lips after much effort, concentrating his mind instead on eating his share of dinner, flourishing chopsticks in hand. Damn, but he was mighty hungry, too.

“So,” she spoke in between mouthfuls, “Why did you come?”

He paused. What could he say? Cook up a cool, stoic answer about how he was just passing by and happened to remember she had her concert rehearsal tonight? Or play it blunt and – oh fuck it, he was just going to go with the flow. He blamed it on the stupor of nightfall and his tired bones that was causing him not to want to lie through his teeth.

“I…just thought it’s time I return the favour,” he answered, gesturing the chopsticks to the Takoyaki balls.

She raised an eyebrow, “Favour? What favour?”

“You fed me,” he shrugged his shoulders, referring to her bento boxes on those other nights, “so I guess…this makes us even?”

She brightened at his words, before mirth laced her tone. She nudged him in the arm, “Not so quick, Cloud! You think you can get away with just bribing me with takoyakis and forget the other times I fed you, too?” She teased.

“Hn,” he looked away, but not before a smile made its way onto his face. He hoped she hadn’t seen that, “Calculative.”

“Oh you,” she poked him twice in the shoulder. It sent tingles down the length of his back. He ignored it, deciding to stuff himself silly with Takoyaki balls to distract from her touch. “How about I propose you pay me back the rest in the form of another date?”

She was _definitely_ flirting with him.

And she knew she was pushing his damn buttons.

In his startle he had nearly swallowed the Takoyaki ball whole; he was this close to choking.

“A-Another date?”

“Guess that makes two,” she brought up two fingers, wiggling them before him.

He rolled his eyes, “Demanding.”

She stuck out her tongue, then looked over his shoulder to peer at his takeaway box. “Hey, that’s not fair – why do you have bonito flakes on your Takoyaki balls and I don’t?”

“Hey, don’t be greedy,” he chided her.

She was already bringing her chopsticks forth and lifting them threateningly above his food. Was she…fighting him for it?

“Aerith,” he warned under his breath, shuffling away from her looming presence as she looked ready to lunge for his Takoyaki share.

“But I love bonito flakes on my Takoyaki,” she batted her eyelashes and said in her most sing-song voice.

_Don’t break under her spell. Don’t be bewitched by her. Fuck, fuck, no good. No good, Strife._

He swore every ounce of his breath was taken from his lungs and air was floating away from him like midnight smoke as she advanced onto him. In a span of seconds, her chopsticks had flown in into his takeaway box and stolen a piece of his share.

Cloud stared at her with mock hostile eyes then shook his head, “You’re killing me.” _You’re impossible, Aerith._

She triumphantly put the Takoyaki ball in her mouth, chewing it purposefully slow, “De-li-cious.”

He found himself wanting to tear his gaze away, his eyes locked too closely onto her pale pink lips for his comfort as she bit down onto _his_ Takoyaki, her smiling intently all this while. Upon realizing the folly of his thoughts, he nearly jumped from his own skin, but not before flushing two shades deeper. He thanked the night darkness for concealing his faux pas.

As the moon drifted behind the clouds, a night breeze passed them - one chilly enough to send Aerith rubbing her palms together in a futile attempt to keep warm. She had underestimated the cold tonight and foolishly left her cardigan back in the dressing room. The thin fabric of her sleeveless ivory dress barely kept her balmy, and she could now feel the hairs on her forearms rising from the bite of the wind and goosebumps tingling on her arms.

Cloud paused to watch, noting a slight tremble shake the delicate frame of her shoulders. It was almost imperceptible – and he could see her trying to keep a front about the cold bothering her, but he read through it, anyway.

“You cold?” He asked, concern lacing his eyes.

“Uh,” she was blowing into her hands, before she stopped mid-way as if caught in action. A sheepish smile lit her face, “No, not really.”

 _She’s such a bad liar,_ he thought wryly. Cloud had promptly reached into his gym bag and pulled out his thick hooded jacket.

He offered it to her, and she naturally had refused.

“I’m fine, Cloud, really,” she was shoving it back to his chest, shaking her head. As if to convince him more than herself, she had flashed him a thumbs-up. No more quickly than she had said it when another stronger gust of wind blew into their direction, sending the waves of her hair flying behind her shoulders. Aerith yelped, her palms flying into her face to shield herself from the unexpected force of wind.

Cloud had to hide a smirk. The sky had never comically timed it better.

It was no surprise she had caught his expression and mock-narrowed her eyes at him with the sternest face she could muster, “Hey, I bet you told the winds to do that!”

“That’s because you’re too stubborn,” he said, and then before she could register his action, he had swiftly unrolled his jacket and draped it around her shoulders.

Aerith shivered – from the cold, or the touch of his fingers as he covered her with _his_ jacket, she wasn’t sure.

“Don’t move,” he ordered, adjusting the jacket around her shoulders so it fitted snugly on her.

Aerith did as she was told. Not like she could help it – him playing the gentleman melted her on the spot, and she could barely move a limb, much less turn him down a second time. In a second, she was staring down at his jacket around her, and she could sense the first wave of warmth seeping through her skin to the curl of her toes. She tried her hardest to convince herself it was solely from the comfort of the jacket, not from any chivalrous gesture of his.

“Thank you,” she murmured, pulling on his jacket closer around herself for warmth. She eyed the symbol and words embossed on the front pocket of his jacket, and found herself smiling up at him.

“This is your Zanarkand Raiders’ Blitzball team jacket, huh, Cloud? Why are you jersey number twenty?” She asked out of curiosity, pointing at the digits on the back of his jacket.

“Every blitzball team is made up twenty players,” he explained patiently, inwardly admiring the way his jacket looked good on her despite her petite frame, “I’m their latest addition – hence number twenty.”

“You,” her eyes clouded with amazement, “You’re their latest recruit and you already made star player?”

“I guess,” he shrugged casually, “Reeve – that’s my coach – only recruited me into Zanarkand Raiders a few years back. Before that I had spent most of my teenage years playing for youth teams until Nibelheim Bruins took me in. And then Reeve sort of bought me in from there. It took me another year before I got promoted star player.”

“Wow, Cloud,” Aerith sounded thoroughly fascinated, “Tell me something you’re _not_ amazing at? So I can actually feel better about myself.”

He snorted, “Please Aerith, Blitzball’s just about the _only_ thing I can do.”

She frowned, “You know that’s not true.”

He put his takeover box away, having finished it. She had done the same. All that talk about Blitzball had flashed a certain something through his thoughts, and he remembered why else he had come to visit her.

“Oh,” Cloud started, “Remember I mentioned to you about the tournament game this Saturday night?”

She nodded, “Of course I remember. Don’t worry, Cloud. I won’t be anywhere else but glued in front of my TV watching you live on every Gaia channel.” She beamed, “Gainsborough’s honor.”

He coughed as a smile caught the ends of his lips. When she was radiating so much incandescence under starshine, he couldn’t help it.

“Well, I guess you don’t have to,” he answered her, ignoring her confused look, “Not anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

He retrieved something from his pocket and held it out to her.

The slips of paper caught the shafts of moonlight and Aerith stared in disbelief at them.

She caught them shakily in her hands, not daring to believe. Her eyes registered shock, and she was too stunned to react instantly.

Cloud watched her through every instance, and his heart leapt when hers did, too.

He knew then, that he had done the right thing.

“VIP tickets to the Tournament game?” Aerith held the tickets to her face, shellshocked, “Cloud, you can’t…I can’t, oh, I don’t know—” She eyed them again, a mixture of bewilderment and marvel clouding her face all at once, leaving her completely stupefied. “Oh crumbs, Cloud, these are amazing but I just can’t accept them – oh gosh, I don’t know—”

“Just keep them,” he reassured her. At the uncertainty in her eyes, he cut in, “Hey, you want to watch the games, right? And you said so yourself that you’ve missed out too much in your life. Now’s your chance to remedy that.”

Her fingers closed around the rims of the golden-trimmed tickets, half in wonder, half in amazement, “I…I don’t know what to say, Cloud.” Her eyes held his and he swore he saw an entire universe in those emerald pools.

“Then don’t,” he said honestly, “Just take it. And I’ve got you two tickets – so you can go with Yuffie. I haven’t forgotten about what she said about wanting to meet my teammate back in the library yesterday.”

That earned him a laugh from Aerith. It sounded like music to his ears.

“She’ll go nuts when she sees this, I promise you.” She was smiling so brightly now, it wrenched heartstrings in him.

“Yep, can’t wait to see her harass Reno. That’s something I wouldn’t want to miss,” he admitted with a smirk. Aerith’s giggles were infectious, and he found himself starting to smile again. His defenses were absolutely useless around her.

“Thank you, Cloud,” she said earnestly, with such sincerity and tenderness in her eyes, any last of his brick walls fortifying his heart was left crumbling into bits and dissolving into thin air.

He had to remind his lungs to function as best as they could. _Breathe, Strife._

“Yep, no problem,” He dismissed it as casually as he could. But he knew his words betrayed the efforts trying to get his hands on those VIP Tickets. He had harassed Reeve the entire afternoon before their training to convince him to get two more VIP tickets for him. Each Blitzball team player were only entitled to four, and Cloud had long ago promised them to his housemates and Tifa. If he was going to request for two more, he knew he needed to bargain with Reeve.

_“Only if I can bet on you scoring fifteen goals or more in our Saturday’s match. And we’ve got to win. No exceptions,” Reeve had bargained with his no-nonsense attitude._

_Cloud had narrowed his eyes. Fifteen goals weren’t impossible – but even for his star player’s standard, it was pushing him to his limits._

_He nodded at Reeve, anyway, “Deal. Now give me two more VIP tickets.”_

“These tickets – they must cost at least 30,000 Gil each, you know?” Aerith’s eyes rounded as she examined them. “They’re VIP…You get to watch every single match of the Tournament and they literally grant you to the back-Sphere access to mingle with the players after the matches and get their autographs,” her voice lowered to a wisp of an awe-struck whisper, “Yuffie _IS_ going to harass Reno.”

He emitted a low chuckle in his throat.

“How can I properly thank you, Cloud?” Her pools of emeralds burst into his blue ones.

His stomach knotted. Each one of his heartbeat pulsated through with each inhalation he took, and an uncanny humidity clamoured at his neck.

Why was it so damned hot here by her side when night zephyrs were blowing about and the chilly Zanarkand night falling fast upon the land?

“You…” He started, then trailed off into nothingness. He could not string any coherent sentences from his numbing mind when her eyes had shattered every last working train of his thoughts. He shook his head, attempting to recompose himself, willing his cool bravado act to return to his veneer.

“I’ll be your biggest fan,” She waved the tickets between her fingers, “With invisible poms-poms and all.”

He nodded wordlessly and looked away into the night sky, praying the choreography of stars above hid the colors rising to his cheeks.

He nearly jumped at her touch, but managed to hold it in on some account of a miracle.

He found himself staring at his fingers – hers had found its way towards his, and wound around them.

His skin crawled; tingled. He was hyper-sensitive and painfully aware that she had intertwined her dainty fingers around his calloused ones – years of playing Blitzball had produced them.

He could only dumbly follow his gaze back onto her eyes, as if not yet registering the gravity of her gesture.

“Thank you, Cloud,” she said again, squeezing her fingers around his.

And to complete the evening, he didn’t pull away.

* * *

**TBC**

a/n:

there you go – I hope that’s enough Clerith development for now hahah

Cloud taking the first step – that’s a massive enough improvement. I’m proud of our boy! Ahem. And harassing Reeve to give Aerith VIP tickets – aww.

Comment/review – you know you wanna! Xd

Myst-san


	8. rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud heard his phone beep a message.   
> It was Aerith, and she had sent through a selfie of her smiling with her Raiders’ cap sitting on top of her hair.   
> ‘Xx your biggest fan!’ Was all she had captioned under the photo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: 
> 
> yay are you guys ready for Tournament season? Because I AM! *holds up poms-poms and all for our favourite star player Cloud-san!
> 
> I’ve written this chapter to (sorta) feature the theme of LDR *ahem.. In a sense anyway. I didn’t want to make Clerith that kind of couple who developed feelings over a span of a few days – so there. Ahh, won’t spoil too much for you. Let’s go! ^^ 
> 
> Myst-san

**\---x chapter eight: rendezvous**

That night, Cloud had crept back to his apartment past midnight. 

He was about to sneak back into his bedroom ninja-style not wanting to wake up his housemates when he heard a cough from the kitchen. He froze, turning around. A lamp light was switched on abruptly, nearly startling him out of his skin had it not been the years of self-discipline rooting his feet to the ground. He ended up glaring daggers at the specific culprit now grinning hugely at him with an unsmoked cigarette hanging from his lips. 

Cloud sighed irritably, “Stop doing that, Cid.” 

“What, scare you? Didn’t know you’d be so easily petrified, Spike,” Cid dug into his bowl of nacho chips. That man was known for his bad processed-food eating habits, especially late into the night. Cloud wondered how ever Cid stayed in the pink of his health with all that cigarette smoke and junk food in his body. 

“And you need to stop eating junk food in the dark,” Cloud retorted, “You know Barret’s been telling you to cut down on them.” 

“Says the guy with the size twice of mine,” Cid chuckled.

“Well, stay up all you want. I’m going to bed,” Cloud pivoted on his heels, ready for bed more than ever. His tired, aching muscles were screaming fatigue everywhere. 

“So how did that initiative thing go?” Cid asked out of the blue, dropping his cigarette onto the kitchen table. His eyes pierced the younger boy’s physique intently, studying him. “You made the first move?” 

Cloud stopped dead in his tracks, before slowly turning around. He chose his words carefully, “What…do you mean, Cid?” 

“You do know I can read you like an open book, kiddo,” Cid was turning into his full-fledged fatherly figure mode again, and Cloud hated it when it happened. Guy acted more like his father than his own non-existent biological father whom he had lost since childhood. “So cut the act. You know what I mean, Cloud.” 

When Cid called him by his first name, he usually meant business and wasn’t in the mood to fuck around. 

Cloud frowned. Ah fine, he didn’t have much to hide anyway, and his housemates were the only persons he trusted outside of himself. And although Cid spewed vulgarities from his mouth majority of the time, he never had bad intentions on his plate. Cloud knew that guy was exactly like Barret – loud on the outside but soft like marshmallow on the inside. Their barks were worse than their bites.

The younger boy shrugged, “…It…went well, I guess.” Then doing something that surprised even himself, Cloud had blurted out, “Thanks for the advice yesterday.” 

Cid broke into a sagely smile, flashing his set of mildly discolored, stained teeth from decades of smoking, “Good to hear, kiddo. You walked her home?” 

Cloud blinked in surprise. Cid was increasingly sounding hundred percent like a stern father figure who demanded to know how his non-biological son had performed in the aftermath of his advice. 

“I…I did,” Cloud slipped his hands into his pockets. Strangely, he hadn’t felt as uneasy as he had thought telling Cid the blunt facts. The man had this uncanny ability to make him feel at ease like a son to a father around heart to heart matters. 

“Good for you,” Cid grinned. Something akin to pride had flashed across his face.

Cloud rolled his eyes – tried to pretend he wasn’t affected by how much a _father_ Cid was acting (and how much of a pain he was beginning to be. Did all fathers act like that?). He turned on the spot and threw a dismissive hand behind his shoulders, “I’m turning in.” 

“So when are you going to introduce the girl to us, eh, kid?” Cid jested in the lamplight, finishing the last of his nacho chips. 

The old man only laughed harder as Cloud flipped him the finger and disappeared behind the door of his bedroom. 

* * *

Zanarkand over the week had transformed into a place of unrestrained joy. 

By Saturday, masses of crowds were lined up outside the Colosseum. Tourists from all over clamoured to get close to the seating entrances, waiting for the gates to open sharp in the evening while many hung outside the stadium desperately trying to snag last-minute tickets. Mascots in fancy costumes paraded the streets and fans donned team jerseys representing their team allegiance. As the parade rained down on the city, human emotions reached an exhilarating high as the people moved, jumped and sang.

Cloud sat in the locker room, nearly dozing off from another one of Rufus’ pep talks. Their Captain did that before every important match, especially when today’s opening game literally rode on all of their shoulders. At twenty-one, Cloud had no idea how he had coped so far with all the pressure and expectations that came with being star player – he attributed it to his cool and indifferent attitude more so than anything. It was the media spotlight and brutal attention that was something he could never get used to. He hated cameras, hated the paparazzi, hated the flashing lights, hated the way the media spun ridiculous stories out of him. 

Cloud cracked an eye open, and saw Reeve flashing him a thumbs-up. It was a reminder to the deal they had struck – fifteen goals for his two extra VIP tickets. Cloud sighed. What had to be done, would be done. 

He stood up, stretched his limbs. He caught the ball Rufus hurtled into his hands. 

“Ready?”

Cloud nodded, “Yep.” 

He could hear the raucous crowd outside roaring their hysterics, and the familiar surge of adrenaline kicked in for Cloud. Tournament games were so much better with the crowds hyping up his energy.

The rest of the team started moving towards the Sphere entrance. 

Cloud paused in his tracks, certain he had heard his phone beeped a message notification. He bent and scanned his eyes over the text message quickly, aware he had less than a minute before he was due outside as part of Reeve’s starting line-up.

Almost immediately, his pulse had skipped. Cloud knew the manner of the way his heart thudded had nothing to do with the excited crowd outside hollering his name. 

It was Aerith who had pinged him a text, and she had sent through a selfie of her and Yuffie smiling like happy idiots with their Zanarkand Raiders’ caps sitting on the crown of their hair. 

_Xx your biggest fan!_ Was all she had captioned under her photo. 

Warmth enveloped his chest entirely, and his eyes had barely managed to tear away from that smiling face of hers until he had heard Reeve bellow his name for him to get out into the Sphere right now. 

Cloud scurried to put his phone away. Picking up the Blitzball in his hand, he dashed out into the limelight of a ten-thousand strong crowd. 

His heart was full; his eyes had acquired a shine that had not been existent in any of his games prior. 

For the first time as he greeted the Colosseum crowd, the thought of someone out there rooting for him with invisible poms-poms and all, made him feel like he could fly in water, much less score fifteen goals for the team. 

The fate of this match was already sealed – Cloud knew he was going to win.

* * *

The next few weeks passed like a blur for Cloud. 

Tournament season was fully in swing as the whole of Zanarkand partied sleeplessly. Even university had slowed to a lull, breaking for the term to allow every student the chance to join in the revelry. 

Cloud spent most days at the Colosseum training and eating meals with his teammates. His nights were invested in defeating one team after another to gradually send the Raiders progressing past the semi-finals, and finally on to the championships. The Altissia Royals had proven to be a pain in the ass in the semis; their players honed from a lifetime growing up in a city of water. The Raiders had ended up losing their best reserve players Biggs and Wedge to injuries by the time they had scraped through with two points ahead only after Cloud had struck a last minute aim into goal, sending the home crowd going berserk with overjoy. 

That had propelled them into the championships to face the legendary Balamb Beasts in the finals, whom Cloud knew from two decades of Blitzball history they were not a team to be trifled with. 

Still, the exhaustion in the long haul had been taxing on his body and mind, especially when Reeve had banned his players from any forms of social life outside the spherical pool except for them to head straight home to rest until the championships. Cloud had long ago been conditioned as a professional athlete to understand certain sacrifices were necessary for victory, but even he had this time taken to that rule with a pinch of salt – nothing had quite prepared him for the bittersweetness having to spend less time with _her_ in this interim. 

With the VIP ticket he had gifted her, she had shown up like an unwavering presence waiting for him after every game. It was an unspoken routine between them now – he would go out in the Sphere and rise to the occasion by giving his all in every match, knowing at the end of the day all he had to do to escape this crazy spotlight of his world was to step out of the locker room…

…and she would be there waiting outside – Zanarkand Raider’s cap on her disheveled hair, moonshine accentuating her smile and cheeks, and bento box ready between them. 

Expecting him to be beyond famished in the aftermath of his games, she had provided the solution for him without a second thought. 

“Don’t keep ordering takeaways, Cloud, they’re too expensive,” she would nag at him, then insisted he accept her bento box and eat whatever she had cooked for the day, “Finish all of this up in your locker room then go home and rest early, ok?”

She understood he had no time between meals before he had to dive back into another one of Reeve’s strategy pep talk and then to another strength conditioning session – only the next day would be with another new team to face. Rinse and repeat. 

Those brief moments where they would rendezvous under the moonlight before he would be called back into the locker room – Cloud endeared them into his memory. He knew he would live up to a hundred and never forget the way her smile would catch the glimmer of stars shining through.

Cloud had anticipated going into Tournament season to wear down his bones and muscles, and the stress to splinter him apart eventually. Instead he had found a renewed leash of energy – as if digging his chopsticks into the meals she had prepared for him bestowed him with new life each day.

Day in and out, he would find himself staring at the ever-changing gourmets in his bento box with heart aflutter. From rolls of gyozas, to a changing assortment overtime of smiley-faced Onigiris, bonito-flaked Takoyaki balls, steamed dumplings, Cloud had to fend off the onslaught of envious looks from his teammates and their valiant attempts trying to steal his food. He brushed off their teasings and interrogations at guessing who his personal chef was, ignoring them instead by gobbling his delicious food up – simultaneously covering up the silly smile stealing across his face. 

Sometimes as he sat with his teammates eating, he would drift off into space, absentmindedly unlocking his phone to visit the same photograph of her selfie saved in his camera roll – over and over again.

The hardest weeks rolled around, and with the semi-finals finally over and done with, coupled with a dozen bento-boxes from Aerith he had eaten to a full stomach and an even warmer heart, Cloud had never been more ready for the championships face-off tomorrow night. 

* * *

It had been a nail-biting finals – a 90-minute set game that was electrifying and entertaining, leaving no fans unsatiated in their seat as the vociferous crowds came to life roaring their vocal support for their teams. The Zanarkand Raiders – defending champions of the last Tournament, pitted against the Balamb Beasts – the team who had historically the most record Tournament wins – had produced a match that was tense, furious, and action-packed with drama, hits and misses. As the clock ticked towards the final minutes and the score-line displayed 13-14 in favour of the away team, there had been rising penalty shouts and abuses hurled at the referee. The crowds were going manic.

Aerith was intensely hooked onto the match, never having experienced this mix of intense exhilaration and ecstatic jubilation all at once pounding her chest with fervent excitement. She could make out Cloud on the large projector screen broadcasted across the Colosseum – he was moving with alacrity through the ebbing waters, looking for an unguarded spot in the away team’s defenses he could exploit to his advantage.

Beside her, Yuffie was shrieking so loudly at the top of her lungs, Aerith thought her ears would ring for the next couple of days.

“RENO!!!! GO!!!!” Yuffie was pumping her fists into the air. Her fan-girl enthusiasm was infectious, and her screams melded with those of the uninhibited crowds dancing and tossing full-throated yells at the Sphere. Aerith couldn’t believe it – attending a Blitzball game had proven more addictive than she had ever imagined; she couldn’t understand how she had missed out on this experience her whole life.

She bit her lips in tight anticipation as the last sixty seconds of the match remained. The Raiders were still down by a point – it had been a neck-to-neck race from start to end and chances were fifty-fifty now for both teams. Fans were cheering harder, clanging bells and blowing party whistles, in the lead up to the dramatic end.

 _C’mon Cloud, c’mon!_ Aerith cheered hard, her eyes never leaving the darting figure in the Sphere pool deftly streaking through the waters as though made of liquid himself.

Her eyes flickered. She had not missed the meaning behind Cloud’s unanticipated burst of speed– the star player had spotted something. As if by a stroke of luck or timing, Cloud had whizzed his way into an open spot just in time for Reno to pick up on the golden nanosecond of opportunity. The redhead promptly catapulted the ball towards Cloud who swiftly caught it with both hands – and in a flash of innate ingenuity and balletic grace ably executed by the rising youngest star player of the Tournament – he had sent the ball flying past the helpless and dismayed looks of away team players, curving beautifully straight into goal.

The whistle blew for time-out, and the home crowd went wild.

Final score 15 to 14. The Zanarkand Raiders had won.

Scarves, hats and banners were jubilantly thrown into the air in high spirits. Strangers hugged, fans sobbed, and even Aerith didn’t blame Yuffie for crying on her shoulder in euphoria. The Raiders’ team colors lit up the entity of the Sphere – its bright, blinding floodlights turning the pool into a dazzling stage cast on the winning team.

Aerith watched the screen re-broadcast Cloud’s golden goal moment, and the exuberance on her face matched the glow on her cheeks from all that cheering for the team, for _him._ Her heart soared. She hadn’t lied to Cloud when she had told him she would be his biggest fan, for a lifetime.

* * *

Cloud barely survived the oncoming incursion of his teammates charging to him in the locker room, hoisting him up on their shoulders and tossing him around all corners of the room in an act of joyous celebration for having struck that momentous goal. He had yelled at them to put him down, but even their invasion of his personal space could not dampen his spirits.

They boisterously sung his name to the tune of a comically improvised anthem, and only after he had repeated his warnings that the team had finally put him down and gone off ahead to finish their celebrations. The last Cloud saw of Reeve before his coach had disappeared back outside to address the media was the proud, triumphant smirk on the older man’s face reserved for his star player. That was all that was needed to be said and done for Cloud.

The Turks had planned to head off to Seventh Heaven to drink a toast to the monumental occasion, and there was no way Reno was letting Cloud off the hook this time. Still, as Cloud skipped past the showers and bolted out of the locker room, his only focus was on something he needed to tend to first. 

He turned around the corner of the darker corridor, slowing his tracks expectantly. A silhouette in the shadows had surfaced gradually into light, speeding up his heartbeat a few notches, none of it attributed to his exertion from running.

He could recognize that petite frame anywhere.

“Aerith,” he called out her name, heart leaping to his throat.

She turned, and her emerald eyes shone visible under the moonlight creeping in through the dark walkways. “Cloud!”

The excitement in her voice had caused him to spring in his steps towards her. He couldn’t remember winning any game that had made him feel as eager and hopeful altogether like this. Separated from her now with the wedge of nothing between them but sheer moonlight, he had never known such aching existed that could gnaw at his insides – similar to the kind of longing for sunshine on a dreary winter night, he could at best describe it.

Her familiar presence and wildflowers scent stirred something in him like an old, fond memory, and he was unaware he had stolen her breath from her lungs as well when she had breathed in his masculine, chlorinated scent. He was literally still dripping wet from the pool water.

She giggled at the sight of him, “You didn’t even bother to take a shower? Aww, did you miss me that much?”

The colors rose to his cheeks and he hoped they hurriedly scatter away in the darkness. He hadn’t denied her question, either, choosing to shift the topic not very subtly.

“You had fun today?” His eyes held a softness for her he hadn’t known he was capable of.

“Very much,” she was ranting ahead now, narrating her Tournament experience in her usual fervid manner when she was excited.

He had to break into a soft smile watching her chatter – it was apparent she had been spell-bound by the brilliant match. She still wore her Raiders’ cap sitting atop her hair all falling messily loose from their braids, and he wondered briefly how anyone could look so… fetching and charming with it. Her cheeks were powdered pink from all the exertions of the night. 

Cloud had to clench his fists by his sides in a desperate bid to curb the yearning that had churned in him.

He had not foreseen feeling this way – that inexplicable, irresistible feeling of wanting to reach out to her, be closer to her, but none of it made sense to him. Yet, as he realized how much he had _missed_ seeing her after the sport of Blitzball had all but consumed him in the last month, he had found himself thoroughly longing again for those halcyon days sat under starry nights with Aerith.

“I didn’t make you a bento tonight. I figured you’d be out celebrating out with your teammates. You deserve every second of it,” she told him, a stellar smile lighting up her face.

He nodded, “Team’s calling, can’t say no.”

And then as an afterthought, he had added, “But I’d rather be elsewhere, you know…” _With you._ He trailed off, his sentence left hanging unsaid, but he knew she understood, anyway. His silence spoke more volumes than his words ever did.

She must have grasped his meaning because a smile had weaved its way onto her lips. She poked him teasingly in his chest, still rippling with the sheen of pool droplets glinting off his wet gear into the distance, “No I don’t know, Mister. Care to enlighten me?”

He forced a frown at her, but the edges around his eyes had softened into an impossibly vivid blue. They bored into her set of intoxicatingly deep emeralds, and a second passed when they had simply stood and said nothing, as if spell bound by whatever enchanting spell one had cast on the other under the luminous night.

Then she had finally reached into her pocket to draw something out.

All forms of breathing snatched out of his lungs as she took his hand gently and placed a tiny box in his hands.

“Here, this is for you,” she smiled up at his curious eyes.

He surveyed it, weighed it tentatively in his hands before a wry look cut into his features. “Not another yellow lily, I supposed?” His eyes acquired a hint of tease, just for her.

“No, silly! Don’t you want to open it?”

And he did, his fingers slightly tingling with anticipation as he flipped the lid of the box and found himself staring at …

…His eyes widened.

He looked up at her, “A succulent?” It was a small, tiny but adorable as hell green cacti with its prickly thorns.

She nodded, trying to stifle her giggles, “Thought someone had a green thumb.”

He couldn’t wipe away that idiotic smile off his face in time as he thought back to the time he had sought her out in the library and she had caught him holding the book on planting succulents. He examined the cacti, rotating it around the heart of his palm.

“It’s a silly gift, I know,” she looked suddenly nervous that he might not have liked it; she was rambling again, “But I thought you might—”

“I like it,” he admitted, interrupting her.

Their eyes met across two pounding hearts, and she was the first to break it.

“Give it a name, Cloud,” she urged.

His eyes narrowed, “Aerith, it’s not a pet.”

“Suit yourself. I’m going to call it Cactuar, anyway,” and as if she had decided it all on her merry own, she had bent down to level height with the succulent, giving it a little wave, “Cloud here is going to take care of you from now on, okay, Mister Cactuar?”

He pretended to roll his eyes at her childish antics, but the folds of his heart were doing those strange flips again. For some strange reason he couldn’t comprehend, he had felt this sudden obligation to take care of this succulent christened Cactuar, on her behalf.

Behind him, loud voices were beginning to shout for his name. His team was probably looking out for him now to carry on their celebrations at the Seventh Heaven.

Unbearably exquisite green eyes stared into his penetrating blue ones.

“I’ve…got to go,” he muttered.

If he was honest, he had hoped to have more time with her than this. Winning an entire Tournament and him kicking in the final, golden goal to lead his team to victory the second year running – and all he got were a few minutes with Aerith. Was this really the victorious celebration he had imagined from the start? Then again, he had not counted on her showing up magically in his life up till now.

She nodded brightly, “Go for it, Cloud.”

He was about to say something, when someone had jumped onto him from the back.

“CLOUD! THAT’S WHERE YOU ARE!” It was unmistakably the voice of the redhead Turk.

Cloud resisted jamming his fingers into his ears. Loud Reno was one thing – overly-excited and aggressively happy Reno was another to deal with.

“Reno, what are you doing here?” Cloud asked irritably. He hadn’t known why anyone disturbing him and Aerith would cause him to be this peeved and grouchy.

“So,” Reno had slung a brotherly arm around Cloud’s neck, causing the latter to squirm, “Is this the girlfriend of yours who’s been cooking you all that delicious food?” The redhead looked at Aerith and broke into a toothy grin, holding out a hand, “Hi! I’m Reno, Cloud’s teammate.”

Cloud swore under his breath. He was going to kill the redhead later.

Aerith had returned the Turk’s greeting with a cheerful wave, “I’m Aerith.”

Reno was speaking excitedly again. There was no stopping him when he was in a good mood. “Aerith, come join us at the Seventh Heaven bar tonight? Some of us are heading up now to finish the party!”

 _What the actual fuck._ Cloud thought. This wasn’t funny. Reno was asking Aerith to join them?

“Oh no, no, Reno, it’s fine,” Aerith was shaking her head vehemently, “I don’t want to intrude—”

“RENO! That’s where you are!!” A familiar figure had pounced onto the redhead, throwing him off-balance and causing him to release Cloud.

Reno had yelped and rubbed the back of his head. “Screw you, Yuffie!!”

Aerith looked highly confused, alternating glances back and forth between a squabbling Reno and her housemate. “Wait…Yuffie, you know Reno?”

“Fuckin’ Cloud gave her some VIP ticket because she’s your friend and now she’s been harassing me like a fucking parasite –” Reno got swatted in the chest by Yuffie and he readied himself into a defensive martial arts stance, “Do that again, Yuffie, I dare you!”

“Oooh, you’re so adorable, Reeeno!” Yuffie pretended to squeal then pumped her fists up in a fuelled response. Fire lit in her eyes. “Well, don’t underestimate me just because I’m small and puny – doesn’t matter that I’ve had a crush on you since elementary school! I can take you on anytime, Reno. Bring it on!”

“Yuffie, stop!” Aerith was leaping to her friend’s side, pulling her away desperately. Cloud sighed, raking a frustrated hand through his hair. How the fuck did things turn out like this?

Rude’s voice was hollering down the hallway in a distance. “Reno! Cloud! The party bus is about to go! C’mon!”

Reno glared at Cloud, daring him to refuse, “You better fucking not ditch us or you ain’t my teammate.”

“Yea, yea, I’m coming,” Cloud rolled his eyes. He was _this_ close to face-palming.

“SO AM I!” Yuffie jumped onto Reno, hugging him tightly from the back, sending him almost flying into the air in a startle.

Reno settled for a glare and walked off, Yuffie in tow. “Suit yourself, Yuffie. CLOUD! GET YOUR ATHLETIC ASS HERE! And tell your girlfriend to hurry along!”

Cloud eyed their departure, utterly floored to whatever the hell had happened. He shot a questioning glance at an equally taken aback Aerith, “So…you coming?”

Aerith heaved an exasperated sigh, her shoulders dropping, “I don’t know, Cloud, you know I hate crowds and bars and things like that, but I can’t just leave Yuffie alone.” She was lamenting now, her eyes tinted with worry, “Gaia knows what she’s going to do when she’s dead drunk and knocking everyone’s teeth out. I’ll have to make sure she gets home safe.”

Cloud nodded, “Then you’d better.”

She looked at him, hesitation clouding her eyes, “Do you mind?”

“Of course not,” he lied. The thought of letting Aerith anywhere near his drunken teammates who potentially groped any living human when they were pissed drunk left him uneasy – but he knew he would be there to stay sober and watch over her anyway.

He sighed, “Wait here for me. I’ll shower, and then we’ll go.” 

He looked at Cactuar the succulent in his hand, and silently hoped he wouldn’t live to regret his decision.

**TBC**

* * *

A/N:

Yay thanks for surviving Tournament season with me. *hugs sorry I know it’s not the most Clerith-kinda chapter. I hoped you had enjoyed Cid acting all father figure on Cloud, too. 

Next chappie – CxA with the Turks and Yuffie and everyone else hits the bar!!! And yep, I’m finally bringing in Zack the competition HOHOHOHO. 😊

Comment/review- you know you wanna see all that drama unfold next *winks

Myst-san


	9. tensions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Who do you think you are trying to stop me from taking Aerith away? She your girlfriend?”  
> Nobody had ever dared threaten Zack Fair like that.   
> The hell I’ll let you take her, Cloud thought.   
> “Let her go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n:
> 
> lol just as I’m going to let the characters hit up the bar here, there’s also going to be some drama in this chapter *ahem.
> 
> Insert **anti-Cloti/Tifa warning** here: as usual if you’re a fan of Tifa I urge you to stay away before you flame me into a volcano.   
> Insert **anti Zerith/Zack warning** here. Zack appears in this chapter, and I apologize in advance to anyone who loves Zack, because I’ve written him OOC here but I promise his backstory and xter will be fleshed out more in future chapters. 
> 
> …I think that’s about it! Prepare for a drama-fest chapter with our favourite sprinkle of Clerith – bring on the popcorn!  
> Myst-san

**\---x chapter nine: tensions**

Cloud’s attention was entirely fixated on the new guest Seventh Heaven had received for the night. 

He sat at the corner table sipping soda water, refusing to partake alcohol on the pretext to everyone that he wasn’t in the mood to nurse a hangover tomorrow. In reality, he knew he was choosing to stay sombre in order to look out for the amber-haired lady who was now the centre of attention among the party-goers at the bar, the latter group unfortunately involving the lot of his Blitzball teammates, housemates and random strangers whom he didn’t quite recognize.

When Aerith had tagged along, the last thing Cloud had anticipated was her being such a hit with his teammates. The Turks and the others had taken a liking to her immediately – and why the hell not? She possessed an innate fun-loving nature; a good sense of humor, and was so congenial to everything and everyone that breathed around her that it was _impossible_ not to like her.

When Reno blabbered a joke in his drunken stupor that nobody else found funny, Aerith’s infectious giggles had everyone else breaking into fits of hysterics. When Tseng and Rufus nearly got into a fight when one of them had refused to commit to a truth-or-dare challenge, Aerith had without so much a blink of an eye mediated matters between them to calm both men down. Even Rude who usually sat quietly behind the rest was not forgotten – Aerith had chatted him up to offer a helping hand if he needed to speak to Tifa, and was generous with tips to help pursue the woman of his dreams. Barret, Cid and Vincent who were usually impassive when it came to making new friends, had even warmed up to the flower girl. It hadn’t taken them long to delve into a deep discussion with Aerith debating about the connections between science and music and the varying cognitive responses of the brain across different musical languages.

And Cloud watched on – all of her interactions with his mates – in nothing short of having the breaths taken out of his lungs; him being unable to tear his gaze away.

He was absolutely confounded and mesmerized by the magic she possessed around people. Aerith exuded such exuberance and a permanent optimism that he could see why everybody swayed towards her like she radiated some kind of natural magnetism. Across the room, he occasionally caught her eyes searching and meeting his, and his world would shake; him drawn to her helplessly. When she offered a smile Cloud knew was saved for him, and him only, he heard his heart pounding in his ears.

She might have admitted to hating loud parties and crowds, but she was so good at dealing with people with her constant effervescence that Cloud wondered if this was another one of her talents she had been too modest; too humble to boast.

 _What else are you pretending you can’t do, Aerith?_ He thought.

His eyes crinkled with wry amusement as he watched a very drunk Yuffie attempt to hug Reno for the umpteenth times that night. If anything else he found more interesting than Tseng and Rufus now trying to engage in a challenge of who could down more shots in thirty seconds, it was seeing Yuffie annoy the hell out of Reno. Cloud considered it his newfound pastime witnessing the redhead Turk being dominated by someone else half his size.

“Having fun?” Beside him, Tifa had slid into the seat with a glass of cider in her hands.

Cloud nodded wordlessly, bringing the soda water to his lips and taking a sip.

 _More than fun_. He had been amused the hell out of this night. Plus, he got to simply sit here on his lonesome watching the popcorn entertainment his mates had created for him in their drunken states. He found his thoughts drifting to Aerith once more – thankfully none of his teammates had gone into groping mood yet, well, not on _her,_ at least. And they hadn’t coerced her into drinking alcohol after she had refused them politely the first time.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to keep a look out.

Tifa, sensing his unusual silence, had followed the direction of his gaze. Ruby wine eyes settled on the sight of Aerith, who was now trying to extricate a flailing Yuffie off a mortified Reno. The younger girl had puked into the redhead’s shirt apparently, and Reno had let out a string of curse words so explicit – even Cid had been incited to toss an orange fruit at the redhead to shut his foul mouth up.

Cloud hid a smirk behind his soda glass. These were moments he came to Seventh Heaven for.

“So…how do you two know each other?” Tifa tried to put on an air of casualness as she took a gulp from her cider. She hoped she hadn’t sounded _too_ curious; she had tried to mask the nature of her conversation as if it was plain small-talk.

Cloud looked up, abruptly distracted from his enjoyment of watching the unfolding entertainment, “What?”

Tifa sighed, slightly irritated. Had Cloud been drinking? His mind seemed to be entirely elsewhere the whole night. But that wouldn’t make sense as she stared at his soda water – he hadn’t consumed a sip of alcohol. “Cloud…” she started again, until he seemed to have remembered her question. 

“Oh, you mean Aerith?” His eyes were still affixed at the sight before them. Reno had stripped himself of his shirt, flinging it in a wild rage at Yuffie who looked ready to pass out drunk in the bar. Cloud narrowed his eyes. He suddenly felt worried for the kid – wasn’t she just 16? Maybe she shouldn’t even have been fed _that_ much alcohol.

But Aerith was already rushing to her friend’s aid and helping her up. There was a loud commotion around the table as all of them tried to determine what to do with Yuffie, who looked too tipsy to continue for the night.

“Yes, Aerith,” Tifa repeated. “How do you two know each other, anyway?”

Cloud sipped his soda water, a quick memory passing through his mind of the flower girl saving him from the rabid fangirls on their first encounter, and the day after when he had sheltered her from the rain outside the Sphere.

A small smile curved his face – one that he quickly hid behind his glass. But Tifa caught it, anyway, and frowned.

“Uh, she helped me, I helped her,” he explained in the simplest gist of it, “Round and round it goes.”

“That’s all there is to it?” Tifa peered closer at the spikey-haired boy, whose expression remained unreadable to her, “Sure there isn’t something more?”

At this point, Cloud had blinked suddenly, as if caught off-guard by her question. A cough erupted from his mouth as he hastily reached for his glass to take a quick gulp of soda.

“Uh…” was the only monosyllable he could manage in that slightly panicked state of his.

Heaviness cleaved to Tifa’s heart, and as much as she had willed herself to hold back on showing any overt emotions, her forehead had creased in tension.

The commotion at the bar table had gotten louder, and Cloud heaved a quick sigh of relief for a distraction from Tifa’s question that had came from out of nowhere.

In front of them, Yuffie had passed out cold, and everyone was gathering around trying to figure out what to do with her. Cloud stood up from his seat, ready to intervene in the circumstance the unconscious girl needed help. Aerith had jumped in to tend to an unconscious Yuffie as well, obviously worried, as she knelt beside the happily slumbering girl drooling all over the floor.

“Ah fuck! Get out of the way, I’ll bring her home myself,” Reno had shoved everyone away and lifted Yuffie up from the floor, as though forgetting the girl had earlier just puked into him a few minutes prior. Everyone stared at him, surprised. Was the redhead being serious?

Aerith stepped back as Reno carried Yuffie on piggyback. Her eyes were full of sick worry, but even she couldn’t hide her surprise as well, “Reno, are you sure? I can bring her back to the apartment, you know—”

“Nah screw it, I’m the one who fed her all three jugs of alcohol because she lost a bet from me. In a way I should take some fuckin’ responsibility, eh?” Reno flashed Aerith a thumbs-up, assuring her all would be fine. “Ping me your apartment address, Aerith. I’ll get this kid home safe and sound. Turks’ honor, you trust me?”

“I trust you,” Aerith nodded, though deep inside, she could hardly contain her excitement for her housemate. Yuffie would sooo flip when she found out the next day who had taken her home. Aerith could not bear to spoil this fairytale moment that would mean the world to her friend, and she knew she could trust Reno if Cloud trusted him as a friend.

Aerith glanced over at Cloud questioningly, and he nodded. _Yep, he’s loud and annoying, but Reno’s fine._

The smile he received in return when she had seemingly read his mind sent his heart catching in his throat. Funny, Cloud thought, how strange it was that in a room full of people, it was _her_ he couldn’t take his eyes off.

So entranced by the spell Aerith had cast on him, he had missed out the strange look on Tifa’s face. The bartender found herself following Cloud’s gaze, and upon realizing he had been watching the amber-haired lady this whole time, something kicked her core harder than any jutsu performed on her would have. Tifa felt all the air whoosh out of her, and not in a good way.

In a half desperate bid to recover her composure and half attempt to snatch Cloud’s attention back, Tifa decided to switch the subject, “So Cloud, that VIP ticket Aerith had – you gave it to her?”

Cloud’s eyes remained anywhere but on the bartender. In fact, as Tifa examined them closer, they had never left a certain amber-haired lady halfway across the room. “I…” Cloud started, as if suddenly remembering Tifa’s question amidst his blur of thoughts, “I did.”

Even though Tifa had known the truth sometime back in the Colosseum when she had first bumped into Aerith and Yuffie and the latter had waved her tickets flamboyantly claiming they were a gift from Cloud Strife, Tifa wasn’t prepared for how the truth still hurt hearing the confirmation from the man himself.

Tifa denied it at first, not wanting to believe any other women could have worked their way up into Cloud’s heart insofar being able to cause the stoic man to regard someone else as more than a stranger. Even Tifa knew Cloud’s housemates had nearly wrung his neck and threatened to never proofread his undergraduate assignments again before the stubborn boy had caved in and given them the VIP tickets they had bugged him for.

“She or Yuffie asked you for it?” Tifa inquired, the urge to know taking hold deeper in her chest.

“Uh, not really,” Cloud answered matter-of-factly.

“So,” Tifa couldn’t hide the confused look rising on her face, “You…mean you just decided to give it to them? That doesn’t sound like you, Cloud.” She pointed it out.

“I guess,” he shrugged his shoulders, his eyes acquiring that far-off look again that made Tifa squirm with uneasiness, “But…they had fun, didn’t they?”

There was an edge to Cloud’s voice that Tifa had never heard before, so much so that it had caught her by surprise, causing her to blink up at him. He had uttered ‘they’ referring to Aerith and Yuffie, but from the look in his eyes, there was no mistaking he had only meant it for a specific person. It didn’t take an idiot, much less Tifa, to translate his meaning to:

_But she had fun, didn’t she?_

Tifa observed the bar table where Cloud’s attention had solely been the whole night. Boisterous laughter had rung out among the men – it seemed Aerith in her gaiety had even melted the unflappable duo that was Tseng and Rufus to take a shot at darts, and everyone watching in their alcohol-induced states were guffawing away that the men were actually _losing_ to the very adept female dart-thrower.

Just as easily as Aerith had graced everyone with her presence tonight, she had just as gamely won everyone over without even looking as if she had bothered to try.

Cloud watched, transfixed - that was the most fascinating about _her_. Despite her inclination to immerse in her own little musical world most times he’d met her, she could just as quickly transform into this graceful butterfly all bright and dazzling fluttering from flower to flower leaving everything it grazed in its wake from shades of monochrome to a myriad of brilliant patterns.

Cloud struggled to make out the conflicting emotions eating at him. All he knew was that as he sat a distance away from Aerith, he craved to be closer, much, _much_ closer. Instead of his teammates or strangers around the bar being drawn into her radius of sunshine, _he_ wanted to be the only one she fluttered to and unfurled her wings on.

Yet Cloud stayed put where he was, his pride admonishing his thoughts as wishful thinking.

Tifa herself was doing all she could to chase away the raw, unwanted feelings creeping up onto her. Lips flat, teeth clenched. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt envy, or jealousy. Why would she – when she had all her life had a long line of male suitors circling around her finger? Tifa knew she was beautiful; considered ‘busty’ even by the ridiculous female beauty standards, but as she stood watching Aerith, she couldn’t help but frown.

 _It wasn’t fair._ Usually it was her – Tifa Lockhart, the charming fist-fighter – that everybody loved and fawned over, who had everyone at the bar eating out of her hands. Not the other way round where she was now relegated to the side, watching from afar.

“You okay, Tifa?” Cloud asked, finally noticing her looking all out of sorts and especially sullen.

“Hey, Cloud,” Tifa stood up, deciding to take action in her own hands, “shall we get some air outside?” In truth, she was hoping for _anything_ to divert his attention away.

“Uh,” his eyes seemed reluctant to tear away from the one woman that commanded his attention, “I don’t know, Tifa…”

“Oh, it’s just going to be quick. I feel like I’m suffocating in this humidity,” she had barely spoken the words from her mouth and already had her hand on his forearm, tugging him away.

Cloud sighed and allowed himself to be drag away – he knew it better than to resist the fist-fighter. The girl could catapult him into the wall with a jutsu kick if he wasn’t careful and pissed her off.

“Just a while, Tifa,” he told her.

They were nearly at the bar entrance when the doors were kicked open belligerently, revealing a group of men who looked no older than in their twenties. They were conversing and laughing loudly, generating a loud enough ruckus to draw everyone’s attention in the bar towards them.

Their group leader – a tall, spikey dark-haired handsome man with a chiseled face and taut jawline had stepped forth with a cheeky grin, stretching his hands up high, “Ahh! Look what we have here in the bar tonight! A whole bunch of Blitzball players from Zanarkand!”

Cloud narrowed his eyes to get a closer look. The men were all wearing team jerseys – fans of the Altissia Royals. He figured they were tourists visiting from Altissia themselves who had travelled to the city for the Tournament like everyone else. And one thing for certain that had resulted in the last semi-finals – the Altissia Royals and their fans were still feeling utterly sore and reeling with their wounded pride at having been kicked out and defeated by the Raiders by a controversial, narrow margin.

Behind him, Cloud sensed the tension skyrocketing into the air as the Turks stood up, adopting a wary, defensive stance. A certain animosity hung from both sides of the room – so thick, it was almost impenetrable even with a knife.

“What say we buy these…these amateur CHEATERS a drink?” Someone else on the Altissian side had taunted, egging on his friends as the men on their end hooted and cheered, repeating the words ‘cheaters’ raucously.

Cloud was about to say something when Rufus had stepped forth with a hand in the air, signalling everyone to be quiet. “We’re professional athletes here. We don’t entertain fans nor tourists,” their Captain had coolly remarked.

“Ooooh,” their dark-haired group leader clapped his hands into an applause, grinning from side to side, “if it isn’t the Raiders’ Captain speaking his mind. _RUFUS SHINRA.”_

“Hey, watch it,” Rude barked. Tseng silenced his teammate from the side.

“If you have a comment to make, I suggest you take it to the media,” Rufus said, stepping aside as the newly intruding group advanced forth to invade into the Raiders’ original territory at the bar table, taking up their previous seats. Several of the Raiders’ players present had begrudgingly moved away, instructed by Tseng not to retaliate.

“Well, you guys are in for a treat,” the Altissian group leader had taken his seat where Rufus originally sat. He looked tipsy as he wagged his finger around the room – he obviously had been drinking with his other mates before they had arrived at this night spot, “I, Zack Fair, proclaim all drinks on the house tonight!”

Every stranger around the bar saved for the Raiders and friends had cheered. Nobody could ever turn down someone offering to pay for drinks.

“Everyone!” The man named Zack was now ranting on, “Everyone gets a free drink, except…” His eyes settled on Rufus, then Tseng, “ _Cheaters_.”

Rude was now advancing dangerously on Zack, and all of the Altissian men were gathering closer behind their group leader, ready and eager for a fight.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Cloud stepped in and demanded, breaking free of Tifa’s hold on his arm to stop him from instigating matters further. 

Zack was grinning ferociously now. “I’m student president of Altissia University, and I’m here to negotiate for the Raiders to ask for a rematch with the Altissia Royals, on account that your players cheated in the last penalty shoot-out and the referees had been blind and biased about it.”

“Hey, hey, hey! Watch yer fuckin’ mouth, ya shitbat!” Barret was bellowing now, swinging his arms wildly in an attempt to intimidate.

"#@^&(#@, Admit it, you’re all just fuckin’ sore you damn Royals lost!” Cid was going into full potty-mouthed mode straight – he did that when he was damn well pissed. Beside him, even Vincent had folded his arms, eyes turning into slits.

Cloud swallowed that anger rioting like a fire-seed in his belly, yet the ferocity of it was beginning to grow undeterred as the confrontation between the Altissians and his teammates looked set in a deadlock. Everyone looked ready to break out in a physical fight anytime – even Tifa beside him had begun to rub her wrists to warm herself up. Across the room, the arguments and insults thrown back and forth were building into an invisible inferno ready to erupt anytime – one that if fanned, would be unstoppable in its flames.

Abruptly, a voice had rippled through the whole commotion, silencing everyone in a flash.

“Zack, you’ve got to stop!”

Cloud blinked.

He watched, mind reeling from a mix of confusion and startle, as Aerith approached the Altissia student body’s leader and pulled him aside by the arm, her eyes glinting with a grim fierceness Cloud had yet to witness before.

Upon recognising the amber-haired lady, a look had crossed Zack’s face – one Cloud couldn’t make out. Bitterness? Hostility? Whatever it was, Zack had not taken well to Aerith pulling him aside, and in addition to that dark look he had on his face, a smirk now tinged his lips. 

“My, my, if it isn’t _my_ Aerith Gainsborough!”

Cloud’s senses spun. Something hitched in his throat. _His?_

That man knew Aerith?

“Zack,” Aerith was speaking lowly, looking at him with a stern boldness. It was obvious the man intimidated her, despite how she was trying to face him off squarely, “please, leave them alone.”

“You’re with the Raiders now, Aerith?” Zack asked, his eyes twitching.

“Yes,” she affirmed without a moment’s hesitation, “I’m with _them._ ”

“Tch,” Zack placed his hands on his hips, “Should have known. Your allegiance is always anywhere but with me.” His penetrating blue pupils eyed Aerith’s quavering green ones, causing her to take a step back in trepidation. “Well, Aerith, I dare say it’s been a…. _very_ pleasant surprise to see you again.”

Cloud didn’t like the way Zack’s tongue had rolled around the word ‘very’.

“Zack, please,” forest-green eyes were beseeching, “leave them alone, for my sake?”

“ _Your_ sake?” Zack laughed, causing the entire bar to fall into silence as his sound reverberated across the room. “Old time’s sake, you mean, Aerith?”

He then bent towards the flower girl with a mix of mirth and amusement in his eyes, “Not a chance. Besides, now that you’ve brought it up again, we’ve got to talk.”

Before Aerith could resist, Zack had already gripped her by the wrist, yanking her away.

“Zack! Stop! You’re hurting me,” Aerith was pulling against his force, but the man proved too strong, “We have nothing to talk about, Zack – it was years ago. You said so yourself—”

“Boys, negotiate the deal,” Zack ordered, nodding his head towards his mates. Aerith was still by his side, futilely trying to loosen his strong grip on her arm.

No sooner had Zack trudged towards the door with a resisting Aerith in tow when Cloud had stepped into his way, obstructing their path with his arm outstretched in front of the door.

“You’re bringing her nowhere,” Cloud snapped. His tone was deathly quiet, but it did not conceal the underlying threat beneath his words.

His blood was coursing, his veins were hot. When he had seen Zack touch Aerith and _hurt_ her, his insides had boiled, and the rage that had consumed him had torched like a magma threatening to destroy all rational thoughts in his head.

Zack quirked an eyebrow, “My, my, if it isn’t the formidable Raiders’ star player. Who do you think you are trying to stop me from taking Aerith away?”

_The hell I’ll let you take her._

“Let her go,” Cloud snarled the order, and when he had reached out a hand to rest on Zack’s arm, the single gesture, though small, had held simmering anger and animosity. The star player’s jaw was clenched, his lips set in a tight line. There was a savage look in his eyes that warned he only needed to be provoked further before lunging into full-blown physical violence without hesitation.

Zack stood motionless, staring hard. Nobody had ever dared threaten him like that.

“Who are you to Aerith? She your girlfriend?” He glared at the spikey-haired blonde boy. “You don’t scare me.”

“Neither do you,” Cloud was speaking curtly; adopting a formal, impersonal tone now, “Let’s see – you could hurt me, Zack. And where would that get you? Imagine the headlines the next day. Altissia’s university president hurting star player of Zanarkand Raiders. Does that look like a favorable proposal for a rematch between the Royals and Raiders to you?” Cloud glared down sharply into matching blue eyes the same color of his.

As if something had shaken Zack by the thought, the latter had loosened his grip on the amber-haired lady. He had all but a trace of a faint smirk left on his lips.

In the moment Aerith had glimpsed her chance. She bolted towards Cloud who had sensed her movement. He swiftly reached out to take Aerith’s hand firmly in his, pulling her towards the door with him. Cloud’s eyes hastily skimmed across the room, reaching Rufus’, and both men exchanged knowing glances with a nod.

His Captain had understood – he would take care of things here with the Altissians. Cloud would take Aerith and go.

“You’ll leave Aerith alone,” Cloud warned with a tone of finality, and with one last look behind his shoulders at Zack’s disgruntled face, he had pulled Aerith along with him, and both were gone, past the door.

**TBC**

* * *

a/n:

YIKES! 😊 anyone else recognizes Tifa’s remake lines here? “How do you two know each other?” when she asked about Clerith. ; )

Yes I know Zack’s not this awful - but as mentioned I will elaborate his backstory in future. (runs away from Zack fans). Anyhow, I apologize if there was a lack of Clerith in this fic – but I WILL make it up in the next one… heheh especially now that Cloud has Aerith literally by the hand. HOHOHO.

Myst-san


	10. playground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He hesitated, before taking his place next to her on the other swing. He stopped short of pushing himself off it – his pride wouldn’t let him.   
> “Oh you, need me to give you a hand with a push?”   
> “Aerith,” he warned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: 
> 
> I must say I’m making Zack look every inch a douchebag/OOC here. I apologize in advance, but I promise his backstory and xter will make sense in the later chapters.   
> For now, insert **blatant anti Zerith/Zack warning** in specifically this chapter. 
> 
> Anyway, here you go – fluffy Clerith chapter! 
> 
> Myst-san

**\---x chapter 10: playground**

Aerith gazed down at their intertwined hands – the way his hard veins under his calloused fingers strung taut as they curled around the delicate circle of her wrist. In spite of his unrelenting strength and a fierceness in the manner he held her, Aerith could sense a distinct tenderness beneath his grip.

He was striding too fast, trudging ahead into the darkness as if with a purpose, although Aerith wasn’t completely sure where exactly they were headed. There was a distant look in his eyes, yet it was obvious from the sound of his deep breaths that he was suppressing a muted anger brimming within those stormy blue eyes.

“Cloud,” Aerith called out softly, hoping to break him out of his thoughts. She had never seen him this way – hardly anything riled the usually stoic, calm man to boiling point. It was apparent the outcome of the celebratory night had not gone as planned for the star player.

He ignored her – more unintentionally than on purpose. It was as if he was consumed by his own racing thoughts, and heard nothing else. Cloud was taking two enormous steps at a time, so far so that she was now left stumbling along behind, her hand still in his.

She snuck a look at Cloud – so engrossed was he in his own world that she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. And he still refused to let go of her hand…

Aerith’s eyes softened. Not that she minded in the least, but she wasn’t used to this side of him. She was used to even his cold, hard exterior, but not this Cloud fighting down a turbulence of anger.

It wasn’t until she carelessly tripped over a rock she hadn’t seen in her way and muttered a soft ‘ow’ that he finally snapped out of his reverie, halting so abruptly in his tracks that she had collided into his back from behind.

“Ow, ouch.” Despite of their circumstance, Aerith emanated a giggle as she rubbed her forehead ruefully, looking up at a suddenly sober Cloud. He looked as if he had just snapped awake from a long dream. A sheepish look crossed his face as he realized the gravity of what he had done. What was he thinking, pulling her along like that?

It was as if he had been caught in the embers of an inferno flaming in his chest set blazing the moment Zack had dared hurt her, and that seething anger had eaten into his senses. Instinct had seized him, and the only thing that mattered in that raging second was to take Aerith out of there, where Cloud knew he was at least capable of _protecting_ her.

He stared down guiltily at their interlocked hands, and he abruptly let her go, an embarrassed flush crossing his cheeks.

“S’cuse me,” he apologized under his breath, letting his arms fall back to his side, avoiding her gaze altogether. Didn’t matter she was looking at him like he was her knight in shiny armor who had saved her from the eye of the storm.

“You ok?” He blurted out before he could help it. The colors in his cheeks remained.

“Never better.” Aerith fought back a pang of disappointment as she, too, drew her hands away from his. She smiled up at him, although the scowl on his face was ever so evident, “Thanks, Cloud, really.”

His scowl didn’t falter, and Aerith knew he was still affected by the incident awhile ago.

She stood on tiptoes, and with two fingers, pushed them against the corners of his lips, forcing them to curve ever the slightest.

Stunned by her touch, he instinctively took a step back, “U-Uh.”

“Stop scowling,” she ordered, a cheerful smile on her face.

He sighed, raking a hand through his hair, and before he could say more, she had taken his hand back in hers. He watched their clasped hands, startled, realizing that although it had just been seconds awhile ago when her hand had departed from his, he _had_ missed that strange, affecting warmth.

“Let’s go.” This time, it was her who was leading the way.

“Go where?” He frowned. He wasn’t in much of a mood after all that had ensued in the bar earlier.

They had crossed a short pavement lined with fallen rusty-red leaves, when the canopy of pine trees ushered in a sight of a deserted but quaint children’s playground. Aerith gave a low whistle under her breath as she stretched out her hands as if to greet the sight – she loved this place and treated it as her small hideaway whenever she had a chance to detour from her usual route to and fro her violin tutor’s house on her way back to university.

“Evergreen Park,” she smiled up at Cloud, “I’ve always liked it here.”

“Because it’s quiet?” His tone had considerably softened, and the storminess in his eyes earlier had mellowed to calmer seas. Cloud regarded Aerith with an intensity under the velvet night sky as she let go of his arm and skipped ahead to sit among the swings.

He looked at down at his bare fingers, now missing hers.

Something stirred in his chest – he wondered fleetingly if after having tasted the warmth of her touch, that he could no longer stand having it depart from his soul.

“Nope,” she was pushing her feet off the swings, and the momentum brought her up into the air into a steady rhythm. Her eyes shone at him with a thousand shades of green, “Because it reminds me of innocence, and what’s it like being a child again.”

He slowly neared her side, hesitated slightly, before taking his place next to her on the adjacent swing.

He stopped short of pushing himself off it, however. His pride wouldn’t let him.

Aerith seemed to have caught his struggle with maintaining his bravado, and she gave a short laugh, “Oh you, need me to give you a hand with a push?”

“Aerith,” he warned.

She smiled up at him, and he thought – _here we go again, the combination of moonshine and her goddamn face making me feel all these stupid, strange things at once._

“Just kidding,” she teased, then her eyes turned skywards as she pushed herself further up into the air, leaving her summery skirt billowing in the gusty wind.

A comfortable silence hung between them – Cloud simply staring at her, spellbound. The sight of her punched his guts somewhere, leaving them to mush into the playground sand. She almost made him forget about his anger earlier – _almost._

“So,” he started – he wanted to know the truth, at least, from her, “You know this…Zack?”

She nodded quietly. The only sound that resonated in the night between them was the creak of her swing as she slowed it to a gradual stop.

“I do,” she told him with a whisper so soft, he had to strain to hear. There was a look he couldn’t fathom passing through her eyes – one that he longed to decipher but couldn’t. “Zack…he’s my ex-boyfriend.”

Her words hit him like a truck, blindsiding him. But he held his ground, and refused to let his shaking senses show on his face. If he looked stunned, he didn’t let it show – years of discipline barely managed to rein his expression in.

So he simply nodded. When she didn’t say anything further, he finally asked, “You…still have feelings for him?”

He revolted inwardly, desiring to kick himself in the shins. _Now WHY the fuck have I asked that out of a zillion questions to ask!? You, Strife, are a hundred and one percent made of full-blown idiocy._

“No, no,” she shook her head vehemently, “Of course not, Cloud.” That was a faraway look to her eyes as she recollected the past.

He stared at her, willing her to continue.

“We met in high school and dated for a bit,” she went on, pushing herself gently forth on the swing, “I was only seventeen, Cloud. Young, naïve, foolish…maybe, if you might say so,” she trailed off before gaining momentum to continue, “And I guess I was lonely, just like most girls my age who wanted a relationship. Zack was the only one who ever paid me any attention, and being young and seventeen, it hadn’t been difficult to fall for him.” 

Cloud nodded, swallowing the weird lump in his throat. He wasn’t ignorant of his tight lips and clenched fists against his lap either. Had he…felt sudden jealousy for this man named Zack? But why?

“But like I said, I was seventeen, and I had a scholarship to work towards,” she explained, “My mom was working multiple jobs in the hopes to put me through to university in order to study music. I couldn’t let her or myself down. So I worked my butt off to make sure I aced every recital, every practice, every work to get myself that scholarship,” there was a doleful look in her eyes, “So I guessed in a way, my dreams… were a big hindrance for any romantic relationship to begin with. I couldn’t spend as much time with Zack as he wanted. Especially when he hung out with his friends and wanted me to be around all the time, I just…I just couldn’t. I had work to do; I was busy. But he didn’t understand that—”

“So he broke up with you?” Cloud blurted out before he could help it, his eyes rounding. He was sure he didn’t like this Zack guy already.

“No, not quite…” She murmured, attempting only a cheerless smile at best, “It happened on his best friend’s birthday party and I had promised I would turn up as Zack’s date…”

“You…didn’t show up,” Cloud stated. It was a statement, not a question.

“No, I didn’t,” she admitted, “I had a last-minute call from a conservatory – that I had been given another chance for my audition to earn a place to study with them. I couldn’t turn it down.”

“So…”

“So I ditched his friend’s party. He attended it alone, just like many of his other parties and events that he had ended up going on his own when he realized I never could make the time. But that one party I had missed had been such a huge event for Zack, and his friends after had sort of mocked him – I don’t know, and I don’t blame Zack for being upset and angry at me back then,” Aerith sighed, putting her hands in her laps, “And Zack took it hard, I guess. I wounded his pride before his friends that night when I didn’t show up. The next day…”

“What happened?” Cloud’s eyes bored into hers. He could see where this was all going.

“He didn’t even text, or call, as a warning,” she winced outwardly, “And I guess I had it coming but still…”

 _There_ , there it was. Cloud felt that inexplicable anger simmering beneath his flesh, again, “What did he do, Aerith?”

“He showed up in school the next day parading another girl in his hand. It was over before I even knew, and I…I was kind of the last in school to know about it,” she confessed, colours glazing her cheeks, as if she was still embarrassed by the memory. Fleetingly, Aerith recalled the smouldering memory seared into her head that morning she had walked into high school witnessing Zack and his new girlfriend hand in hand, and her _ex-boyfriend_ had purposefully turned to her with a small smirk on his face, afterwards leaving Aerith behind to her own stunned disbelief.

All around her as seventeen-year-old Aerith stood by her locker, she remembered the humiliation licking its flames at her skin as the bemused, gloating spectators jeered and hooted, treating it all like a scene from a high school drama unfolding as popcorn entertainment before her eyes.

She had been dumped, right in front of everyone, just like _that._

“Do you,” Cloud spoke, his voice low – he hated the hurt that had stung Aerith’s eyes, even if momentarily, at the old recollection. He swore if Zack dared hurt her again, there was no bloody way he could promise no physical violence would erupt from his fists, “Do you have any regrets?”

“Honestly?” Aerith was smiling at him now as if the whole upsetting incident had not just flashed past her memory, “I’ve never felt so humiliated in my whole life, Cloud. Everyone was laughing at me and calling me the girl who got dumped by the charming, handsome Zack Fair.”

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows, “Aerith—” he wanted to cut her off and tell her she wasn’t anything like what she thought she was, but she had beaten him to it.

“But honestly? I don’t regret my decision one bit. Not the whole skipping his friend’s party to attend my audition for the conservatory.” Her eyes brightened with hope, “Because if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here today, in Zanarkand University – getting my scholarship, meeting new friends, starting a new life…”

Her eyes met his, in a heartbeat.

“…Meeting _you_ , Cloud.” She finished.

His breath hitched in his lungs; he tried hard to remember what breathing felt like.

Nadda, zilch – his mind went blank at her words. So he could only stare like an idiot at her.

She laughed, and in an attempt to re-assert his cool act, he had finally spoken, “So…the audition was to get into Zanarkand University? That’s the conservatory that called you up?”

“Yep, and here I am.” She gestured to herself. The gaiety in her eyes had returned.

He stopped to think how to phrase his words best, and finally deciding to let bluntness take the lead, he spoke, “What he did to you, Aerith, wasn’t right.”

_He was a first-class idiot for treating you like that. Well, still is. If he fucking hurts you again, I swear—_

“Really? I think I quite deserved it,” she gave a low, rueful laugh, “At seventeen, I must admit I was a terrible girlfriend.”

“No,” he corrected her, “You were a normal seventeen-year-old who tried to pursue her dreams.”

At his words, she had given him a long, hard stare. One with all the luminescence and intensity that held galaxies in her eyes. It shook him to the core.

“You think so?” She asked, holding her breath.

“Yep,” he nodded.

She looked ready to say something, when he had cut her off first. 

“Like you said, you were seventeen, right?” Cloud gave her a sideway glance, continuing at her nod. “I think…at that age, everyone deserves a right to work towards the paths they’ve chosen for themselves and to fulfill their own dreams. If you had missed those chances and decided instead to clip your wings for one man back then… I think you would have come out of it with more regrets than anything else,” Cloud stated matter-of-factly, completely oblivious to her stunned amazement growing at every utterance of his word.

She remained silent, drinking in his words, until she broke into a huge smile that overtook all the past sadness on her face.

“I can’t believe you just said all of that, Cloud. That must have been the most sentences you’ve ever spoken to me.” Her eyes were light, teasing. It was a look on her he hadn’t known he had missed tremendously until now.

He scoffed, distracting himself by digging his shoes deeper into the sand. If she looked at him like that again, he didn’t think his nerves were ready for more.

“So,” her eyes sparkled when they met his, every shade of green setting his insides on fire, in a much different way the anger Zack had churned in him earlier, “You don’t think I’ll make a terrible girlfriend?”

His heart hammered – why the _hell_ had she chosen this inopportune time to flirt with him?

He had not been prepared for that, _at. fucking. all._

“I, uh…” He stammered, looking frantically anywhere but her.

She laughed – the sounds reminding him of silver chimes in the breezy summer, “I’m just teasing you, Cloud.”

_Damn right you are._

He gave a soft ‘tch’ under his breath, refusing to look at her anymore lest she sent his heart accelerating into skyrocket rates. His body temperature wasn’t going to take any more heat tonight.

“Thank you for bringing me out of there,” She said gratefully, “I didn’t think I could face him again after all those years.”

 _Back at the question_ …he thought. He had to ask her again. Wouldn’t hurt to.

“You…still like him?” For some reason, Cloud really needed to know, even though the question sounded incredibly stupid to his own ears.

“Cloud!” She pushed herself sideway on the swing so that she was close enough to poke him in the shoulder.

It sent shockwaves through the length of his spine. _Fuck_ , there it was again. What was up with her and her magic touch? Her fingers were undeniably made of sorcery- she bewitched him everywhere she left spots on his skin.

“I already said,” she pulled a face, “That was the past. I was seventeen. Got to look forward, not back, right?”

 _Got to look forward, not back._ He repeated her words inwardly. Right.

“What?” She looked at him with another dangerously cheeky smile curving her lips. He saw it coming, and anticipated his heart turning over into a million somersaults again. She was going to tease him, or worse, flirt with him – he knew it, he friggin’ knew it. Yet with all that knowledge, he was still defenseless against her.

She continued with an impish glint in her eyes, “So… I can’t be liking any other guys in my life again?”

There it friggin’ was.

He furiously fought down a blush, but blatantly failed.

He sunk his shoes so deep into the sand, he lost his toes in them.

_She’s not talking about you, you stupid fool. Why the fuck are you blushing, Cloud Strife!?_

He made a mistake by stealing a glance at her – their eyes met, and his cheeks hotly burnt all over again.

Cloud coughed. The damned moonlight did nothing to make her look any less beautiful under the canopy of brilliant stars stretched out above them.

_Shit. Shit. I just called her ‘beautiful’. Abolish thought, Strife. A-BO-LISH._

“You…think the rest are going to be ok?” She broke his darting thoughts.

He looked up. Right. Now he remembered about his mates he had left behind in the bar. But Cloud knew Rufus and his teammates well – trusted them with his career and his whole life for that matter.

“They’ll be fine.” He wasn’t lying. He knew if anyone else, Rufus would make things right. His Captain was second to none in his air of command, and always possessed the right brain at the right time.

“Think you guys might have to rematch with the Royals again?” Aerith asked, looking concerned.

“Even if we have to, we won’t lose,” Cloud answered matter-of-factly.

“Because they’ve got you as star player?” She teased lightly.

He shook his head, “No, it’s because we’ve got a great team.”

And Cloud wasn’t lying about that either. He thought about the Turks – Rufus, Tseng, Elena, Rude and Reno. And his whole other bunch of amazing teammates who could easily kick any other opponent’s ass in the Sphere once they set foot into the blue pool.

Cloud would die before he admitted it, but his two years tenure with the Raiders…had given him a home away from home. He couldn’t see himself fitting in better anywhere else outside of his team, nor be accepted wholly elsewhere like how his teammates had. Despite how snarky, how quiet, how aloof, how moody he could be on days, the Raiders had always opened up to him like brother in arms.

Beside him, he was aware of the way Aerith’s eyes had softened.

 _What?_ He wanted to ask her.

“You know, Cloud,” she murmured thoughtfully, “You remind me of a prickly pear.”

_A prickly pear!?_

She laughed, continuing, “You act all tough and thorny on the outside, but inside you’re soft and sweet.”

He folded his arms, his eyebrows furrowing. Cloud didn’t know if he liked the description or not, or whether to take offence.

“Aw, come on.”

“I hate fruits,” he gave her a deadpanned look, sending her into fits of laughter.

Into the night sky, the smallest chuckle under his breath melded with the sounds of her giggles.

“Well, I guess there goes your celebratory night,” she gave him a despondent look, “Sorry, Cloud, I hope I hadn’t ruined everything.”

He raised his eyebrows. She thought she had ruined his night? No bloody way.

If anything, she had saved him from the chaotic drama unfolding inside the bar awhile ago. Even without the Altissians coming in to exacerbate matters, Cloud’s patience for his drunken teammates and an out-of-sorts Tifa was running low.

“Honestly, Cloud, I’ll be fine going home myself,” she told him, “Why don’t you go back and finish the party with your teammates? Maybe ask if they would prefer changing the venue – I’m sure the Altissians will leave you all alone. This isn’t their home territory, after all.”

_…Honestly, Aerith? I’d rather be here with you._

But he kept his mouth shut, and shook his head. “Forget it. You just saved me from one hell of a loud nightmare back in the bar.”

“Oh you,” she stuck her tongue out, “You pretend you don’t like the liveliness of your friends, but you never leave them all the same. _Prickly pear_ Cloud.”

He sent daggers to her eyes as a warning, receiving only giggles in return. His defenses crumbled altogether – he could never stand to look angry at her for more than nanoseconds.

“What do we do now?” She sighed. He noticed her braid loosening under the moonlight. _Hell_ , did she have to look so divine?

Aerith lamented on, “The night’s ruined.”

From afar, as if on cue, the crackling sound of something bursting into the sky occurred.

They looked up, towards the distance ahead into the city center of Zanarkand, where the parties continued ahead full steam.

Fireworks had burst into the air. From where they were, Cloud could catch a glimpse of fluorescent, neon sprinkles of light scattering into the ebony expanse of sky.

Something struck him, and he found himself brushing sand off his jeans as he stood up, a determined look suddenly crossing his face.

“Let’s go, Aerith.”

“Wha—where?”

Cloud had already taken her by the hand. Subconsciously he realized he was doing it too often tonight, but right now he didn’t care, and the way he held her somehow made his heart sing anyway – like her hand belonged in his like it fitted there.

He was leading the way forth, towards the direction of the fireworks.

“You’ll see,” he said mysteriously.

Aerith’s eyes rounded. “We’re going to the city center?”

“The night’s not over,” he told her.

Cloud couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this surge of exhilaration; this sudden impulse to go on a crazy, spontaneous adventure. But the sight of her looking forlorn and upset awhile ago had kicked in his urge to protect her again, causing him to throw all caution to the wind.

In that instant, he only wanted to do anything; everything, to make that smile on her face return. At least, for tonight, while she was by his side, and he could make all that happen, for her.

At his words, she had beamed up at him, “That’s the spirit, Cloud!”

She watched his fingers lace around her small, delicate wrist, and she allowed herself like feather to its favourite wind to be flown along like an invisible string, entangled inextricably.

She didn’t know what Cloud was planning; didn’t care where they were going.

As long as she was by his side, tonight was more than perfect.

**TBC**

* * *

A/n:

Are you guys prepared for the fluffiest friggin’ chapter up next!?

Clerith hits the city center partying up in Zanarkand, whoohoo! Okay not exactly partying per se, but you’ll know soon enough…LOL

And yes, I feel we owe it to Clerith to have an obligatory playground scene in every of their lives ever lived. ^^

Ok review/comment… you know you wanna say something to me – anything! ^^ (Except flame me with Zack comments ACK runs away **Iwillmakeitupinfutureeee** )

Myst-san


	11. fireworks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No, no, no. There was no way Cloud friggin’ Strife was going to ever get on an amusement ride.  
> “I want to go on that, please?”  
> Of all rides, she had chosen to get on a carousel. He tried not to bury his face in his palms despairingly.  
> Why, why, why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: 
> 
> **insert obligatory fireworks Clerith scene!** Here is this chapter AHHHH 
> 
> also prepare for unadulterated Clerith date scene fluff XD it’s high time we have it ^^ 
> 
> This is my fave chapter to date, and I hope it ends up being yours, too : )
> 
> also insert disclaimer: no beta-read. I’ve decided to add this note after I’ve had a reader point out the typo/discrepancies in my fic LOL. Believe me, if I’m paid to write, I would sit my arse down and correct every damn technicality. But no, between juggling sleep, adulting and paying the bills, I have no such luxury of time, and would be updating like once a month instead LOL. So there =) 
> 
> myst-san

**\---x chapter 11: fireworks**

Emerald eyes turned skywards, bursting with child-like joy long forgotten once upon a time.

In the serenade of the black sky where the choir of stars had painted a canvas over the city that never sleeps, the lights of the Zanarkand carnival and night market up ahead of them were flickering with life in its infinite patterns.

Aerith had to temporarily shield her eyes from the surreal vision. The myriad of fluorescent lights blinded her with equal excitement and dazzle, and she had to stop from pinching herself believing this was all real, and not a dream.

Cloud sensed her pausing in her steps and tossed a curious look behind his shoulders. He was conscious of the fact that the smallness of her fingers were still entwined in his, and although the logic of his mind had worked that he ought to have let her go by now, his irrational heart had screamed reluctance, and so he had held on – unreasonably; unjustifiably.

“What’s wrong?” He asked her, an eyebrow arched.

Even as the darkest hour of the night fell upon them, he could make out the way the tendrils of her disheveled hair stuck out in random places that had untangled from her braid from all their walking awhile back. Nothing of her messy sight did anything to lessen the way she still looked incredibly endearing; even possibly _adorable_ as her innocent eyes shone up at him as though she couldn’t believe they were here together, ready to hit up the partying heart of Zanarkand.

“I…I,” she stopped, taking in the glorious sight. Her eyes rounded as she spotted the entrance to the enormous makeshift carnival that had sprouted up in the city in light of the Tournament tourist crowd. Children and adults alike were all jostling excitedly to join the queues for several amusement rides, bearing impatience to live out what would possibly the best and last night of their lives before all these frivolous night sights in the city were dismantled once the Tournament celebrations were over. 

Aerith reminded herself to breathe, feeling like a child all over again being granted a surprise gift. No - this, _this_ was much better, she thought. Around them, young children ate ice lollies and brightly-coloured balls of soft sugar strands that dissolved on their tongues, teenagers cuddled romantically behind the backdrop of faint music, and families cradled close as they tasted tantalizing beverages and food from the night stalls. Occasionally, a happy scream would pierce the air as the crowds continued to spur forward with fervent energy. 

Tongue-tied, Aerith thought she had been frozen in time within a fairytale.

Everything looked, and felt, like magic.

Cloud rested a concerned hand on her shoulder, “Aerith?” He tried again.

She snapped out of her trance, shaking her head, eyes dazed. “This is amazing, Cloud,” she whispered.

His eyes softened at her expression. “First time?” He asked her.

She nodded, slightly embarrassed as she clasped her arms behind her, “Yep…Never been to a carnival or an amusement park actually.”

“Never?”

He hadn’t meant to make her feel slighted. Cloud never had thought his time with his Raiders’ teammates had made such a drastic difference to his social life. Hanging out with the Turks on some wild nights together had brought him across one too many landmarks in Zanarkand, and in hindsight Cloud appreciated that through their (although often unwanted) company, they had shown him a bigger world outside his comfort zone. 

Aerith shook her head. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No, of course not,” he answered, closing his fists tight in sudden determination to show her a different Zanarkand tonight; to grant her an experience she would have never known otherwise.

Cloud loved the city most during Tournament season – there was such a different atmosphere in the air when people were happier, and things were brighter. He loved that Blitzball – his sport – had brought and connected people from all over Gaia, together, _here_.

He looked her intensely in the eye, stealing her breath away even before she had set another foot forth.

“You ready?” He offered his hand.

She broke into a smile and accepted his chivalrous gesture. In front of them, the massive structures of the amusement rides could be seen. Aerith couldn’t wait to experience her first amusement park.

“So, is this _our_ date?” She teased as she allowed Cloud to lead her into the entrance. The words ‘Welcome to Zanarkand’s Gold Saucer’ flashed flamboyantly atop of their heads in gold-rimmed bold letters on the neon signboard as they embarked into another side of the city she had never witnessed to date.

Cloud didn’t pause to consider her question. Perhaps it was the sheer adrenaline of the night, or the infectious moods of the crowds. Whatever it was, he was thriving on exhilaration himself.

“Yep,” he answered her simply, his heart skipping a beat when her fingers returned his words with a little squeeze. He sensed her pacing quicker to keep up with him, and when she was close enough, her shoulder had brushed his.

Not even the night zephyrs grazing his skin had electrified him this way.

“I feel like a child all over again, Cloud.” She confessed. The delight in her tone was unmistakable.

And he wasn’t lying when he stole a glance at her bewitching face under the carnival lights and blurted out, “If that makes you happy.”

Her smile was unwavering. “I am!”

 _Good_ , he thought _._

The sight ahead excited her. People wandered from stall to stall, sampling mulled wine and skewered meat. Game booths and beer pop-up bars vibrated under the moonful night. The scent of food and candies added a tingling mix to Cloud’s senses, and he relished in it – together with the wildflowers scent Aerith emanated so familiarly beside him.

Something had apparently caught her interest, as a squeal rolled off her tongue before she could help it.

Aerith shot him a guilty look as quickly as she had done so, closing a palm over her mouth as if she couldn’t believe she had acted out like a five-year-old child at the carnival for her first time.

Cloud fought a valiant battle to keep the smirk off his lips, but failed, nevertheless.

He followed his gaze to the direction where her eyes had settled. She was eyeing the paddle pop-coloured item that every child in the carnival was munching on brightly – something sweeter than sweet and sticking to teeth better than glue.

_Cotton candy floss lolly._

“You want that?” He asked, although already knowing her answer from the way she had animatedly sprung forward in the direction of the candy stand.

“May I?” She looked up at him with that damn innocent face of hers.

He resisted rolling his eyes, although the smile threatened to spill across his face. What was up with the attraction of this bright coloured fluff ball that everyone wanted to have a bite of?

He needed no further coaxing and was already in line to get her the desired candy of her dreams. She offered him a few coins but he had stubbornly shoved her hand out of the way, insisting the whole night was going to be his treat and he would pay for everything. When she looked at him with rounded, questioning eyes, he had nonchalantly brushed it off saying it was for the countless Tournament nights she had fed him with her bento boxes to keep his hunger satiated.

Aerith couldn’t ignore the manner of her heart swelling as she took her first bite into her candy floss. She could never get used to him playing the gentleman, for her.

Cloud looked at her expectantly. “You like it?”

Her eyes lit up like halos. “Yes! So much!” She had taken enormous bites into her candy, the edges of her mouth acquiring pastel colours sprinkled all over her cheeks.

It was hard enough for him to resist the urge to reach out and wipe the remaining floss from her lips. Seeing her this excited and happy melted his insides into goo, and his eyes achieved a softness he hadn’t known possible. He gestured discreetly to his own cheeks to communicate to her that she had left a candied mess on her face.

She laughed – she obviously didn’t quite care. “I’ve always wanted to try a candy floss, you know.”

“I guess that’s a dream come true, huh?” He watched her blissfully biting the sides off her candy. Her eyes were shining like stars, drawing him in to the depths they held.

“Almost! We’re not even halfway through our date, right?” She winked at him, and he lost all of the defenses he had ever held in the fort around his heart. He had stopped questioning her uncanny ability to make him lose all notions of holding his battleground.

“Where to, next?” He asked.

She was looking around her surroundings eagerly. A wide array of amusement rides catered to a variety of ages had manifested within their peripheral vision, and Cloud felt his heart sinking to his toes. He hoped to hell she wasn’t thinking what he was thinking. There was no friggin’ way he would jump on an amusement ride, or worse, a rollercoaster. Blitzball he could do. Somersaulting through whirlpools of water, that he could do.

Just…not _amusement rides._

 _Not even for her?_ A part of his brain teased.

Nope, he answered dryly to no one in particular, more to himself.

Too late. She was already tugging at his arm, towards a ride flashing loud, vibrant lights in the distance.

No, no, no. He tried to increase the weight of his steps to slow her down. His brain screamed at him that there was no way Cloud friggin’ Strife was going to ever get on an amusement ride. Not even wild horses could carry him. But—

“I want to go on that, please?”

And she had the decency to look at him with those _damned_ alluring eyes of hers, and he was lost, lost. She had him wrapped around her fingers, and he knew it. All she had to do was breathe one word and he would be at her beck and call as she desired. If she wanted the stars, he would give her the moon, tonight.

He shot her an uncertain gaze, before his eyes travelled to the ride of her choice.

Of all rides, she had chosen to get on a _carousel_. That kiddy ride recommended for ages 5 and above, even authorized for height 4 inches and below.

Cloud narrowed his eyes with a distaste apparent for that child-approved ride. He tried not to bury his face in his palms despairingly. Why, why, why.

_I am NOT getting on a carousel. Not a ride meant for 5-year-old kids with their moms and dads._

“C’mon! It’ll be fun!” She persuaded him, her dangerous as hell fingers closing around his wrist. Each time she touched him, his mind threaded into red alert territory, and he knew his chances of rejecting her especially when she fluttered his eyelashes at him…was a literal negative digit.

“Depends on what your idea of fun is,” he remarked dryly. Cloud refused to budge, eyeing the carousel as though it was the enemy, full caution in his eyes.

_Proceed with caution onto those circling horses, Strife._

“Tch, don’t be such a wet blanket,” she pulled a face.

“I’ll wait here for you. You get on it,” he told her with a deadpan face.

“Not unless you join me. There’s no fun if you just stand here like a tree, right, Cloud?” She brought her hands together to her chin and gave him her best puppy eyes. Every last shred of his willpower wilted away, and Cloud cursed his weakness for her under his breath.

Her and her eyelashes would be the death of him.

“You’re impossible,” he grumbled. She ignored him, letting his words fall out right to the other side of her ear.

“C’mon, it’s our date remember?”

_Don’tlookathereyes. Don’tlookathereyes. Don’t melt. Don’t cave in. Don’t…Don’t…Ah, ah fuck._

“Fine, just this once,” he sighed, half exasperatedly, half frustratedly.

Great, now he was even riding inanimate horses for her.

“That’s the spirit, Cloud!” She cheered excitedly and proceeded to pull him to join the hustling line filled with young children and adoring families for the carousel ride.

Cloud tried hard not to think how strange it was that he and Aerith melded into the crowds filled with lovey-dovey couples eager to sit the carousel, too. And he noted to his bemusement that all the males surrounding him had looked as begrudging as he did – as if they had been tricked by their fellow female partners to get on this ride, too.

 _What is up with women wanting to ride horses that spin around endlessly in circles until they’re dizzy?_ He wondered. But when he caught a glimpse of Aerith’s shining eyes as the gates opened, he decided it didn’t matter, anyway.

Aerith picked a charming little white horse, and ushered Cloud to get on the one next to her. He was half mortified to find himself sitting on a flashy pink unicorn, but before he could change his mind about this entire ride; this entire stupid decision to join her, the carousel music had started blaring through the speakers, and they were off. A pale, nicotine-colored light illuminated their rides, and the horses and pumpkin carriages on the spinning merry-go-round were now alit with life.

When Cloud’s eyes adjusted to the whirr of the world passing him by, he dared a look sideways at _her._

Big mistake.

With the wind of the merry-go-round gusting by them, her hair had fallen loose from her braid into tangled wisps around her shoulders, her amber waves curtaining her rose-coloured cheeks to highlight the gradients of her green eyes, if anymore possible. She couldn’t stop giggling, as if the notion of sitting on an inanimate horse was just as thrilling to her as to a young child on her first time.

Starshine threw brilliant speckles onto her face, catching her cheeks with luminescence as one hand of hers held tight to the neck of her horse, and another clutched around her precious candy floss. She radiated so much light, Cloud wondered inexplicably what his world would look like suddenly if she vanished from it leaving with her all lingers of her warmth.

He shuddered to think about that, and shoved that ugly thought rearing in his head out of his mind.

“Aren’t you having fun, Cloud?” She teased light-heartedly, her spirits high as the merry-go-round spun them in circles.

He pretended to scoff, the momentum of the carousel thrusting their ride forward into seemingly endless rotations. “Yeah, never thought riding horses were my kind of thing.” His tone dripped with sarcasm, causing her to stick her tongue out at him.

“You won’t understand us ladies’ fascination with horses.”

“Enlighten me.” 

“My mom used to tell me stories about fairytales and castles – of how princesses were rescued out of their miserable lives by their prince charming, who always rode them away on horses,” Aerith explained, eyes twinkling with her tale, “Don’t you think that’s fascinating?”

“So…all this,” Cloud gestured to the horses and carriages around them – a flashing selection of bright letter-box paint here and everywhere, “to create the illusion for girls that they’ve been rescued by their prince charming? That they’re living in a fairytale?”

He didn’t think he quite understand.

“Yep,” she smiled dazzlingly, one that reached beneath his skin and stayed there, “but why do you think this is an illusion, Cloud?”

“Is it not?” He looked quizzically at the fake horses; inanimate non-living things the carousel had crafted paint out of, then back at her.

Her eyes bored into his, and all notion of them spinning in circles on the carousel was lost upon him. He only saw her in this moment.

“Of course not.” There was an impish glint in her eyes that he gleamed. “My prince charming’s right beside me now, riding me away into his castle, is he not?”

At her words, his breath got lost somewhere in his lungs.

“So how’s this all an illusion? I like to call it the miracle of the merry-go-round,” she finished with a smile.

His world spun, like the cycle of the carousel he was on.

Had she called him…her prince charming? Whatever did she mean?

Surely, surely it meant something from the way she looked at him, but even before he could mull over her words any longer, the ride had ended all too soon, their journey coming to a slowdown and everyone else around them wandering along to find the next big thing.

“Shall we mosey on over?” She extended a hand to him. Her eyes danced, setting his heart afire.

“Let’s,” he answered plaintively, and allowed her to pull him away into the night of revelry.

* * *

Cloud had done some crazy things with his Turks teammates, but nothing had quite prepared him for the instance he had found himself in the driver’s seat of a bumper car, beside a wildly cheering Aerith.

What had he gotten himself into? How did he managed to get Aerith to convince him to do this?

All around them, they were surrounded by youngsters who had gamely got on the bumper car ride. The starting time horn had blared away, turning everyone into full-fledged competitors driving to collide into every car literally in sight. Damn, but these teenagers were more vicious and wilder than anything Cloud had ever imagined.

“C’mon, Cloud! You’re letting kids half your age beat you at this!” Aerith was giggling into hysterics beside him.

He narrowed his eyes, although he couldn’t help the exhilaration now churning through him. In spite of his initial pride and reluctance, he had to admit he was actually having a good time.

“You haven’t seen my true colours yet,” he warned, “sit tight, Aerith.”

She let out a cheer, then squealed as Cloud accelerated the bumper car and steered them expertly into the thronging cars before them, much to the cursing responses from the teenagers caught off their guards.

“C’mon, pal, we’ve got to get back at those lovebirds! They’re trying to bump us out!!” The pair of competitive teenagers yelled in disbelief. 

By which time Cloud had spent flashes of minutes adroitly manoeuvring his way out of line from the number of cars filled with excitedly shrieking teenagers pursuing them like hounding canines. All this while, Aerith could hardly contain her giggles, and as Cloud multi-tasked his attention between a blissfully happy Aerith and the treacherous, literally bumpy road ahead, he had let slip a smirk on his face.

Hell, the night was turning out to be a lot more fun than sitting at Seventh Heaven watching his mates drown in beer.

When the horn sounded again to signal the round coming to an end, the group of teenagers had approached them with thumbs-ups and fulfilling smiles on their faces, thanking the couple they had termed the ‘lovebirds’ for what had been an adrenaline-pumping round they had immensely enjoyed.

As they strode away from the ride, Aerith purposefully bumped shoulder with Cloud, causing him to look at her curiously. “What?”

“Tell me _that_ wasn’t fun,” she teased.

“…It was,” he admitted, letting a small smile stay on his lips, just for her.

He wasn’t lying. If this was the celebratory night he had looked forward to at the end of a long, tiring Tournament season, then tonight had not disappoint. 

He was about to ask her where she wished to head for next, when she had slowed her steps down by his side. There was an incomprehensible look in her eyes as she observed the thing in front of them with wonder and amazement, as if truly spellbound.

He followed her gaze.

It was a claw vending machine, and inside its glass walls contained a colourful assortment of plush toys and dolls. Cloud recognized the toy crane – he remembered spending nostalgic days in the Midgar slums playing it with his old schoolmates, trying to manipulate the joystick to win capsuled toys, balls and all sorts of random prizes.

He glanced at Aerith, who looked dazzled by the claw crane. It hit him that she probably didn’t want to win a prize as much as she wanted a plush toy. She had probably saw one to her liking.

“You want to get one?” He asked, although knowing instantly from the glazed look in her eyes that her affections had settled for that Moogle plushie in the midst of soft toys.

She straightened her back, shaking her head, a wistful smile touching her face, “Oh, no, never mind. Shall we move on?”

He held her back, his fingers lightly grazing her forearm. It burnt her as much as it did him.

His eyes drew her in, and in a heartbeat, he had blurted out, “You want that Moogle toy?”

“Ah,” stars littered her eyes, “it _is_ cute.”

“I’ll get it for you,” he replied, and was already bending down to slot a token into the machine before she could stop him.

Aerith scrutinised him as his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, his fingers expertly controlling the claw and operating it so that he could move it wherever he desired. Something clenched at her heart – he was so boyishly handsome under the moonlight, especially when he was again playing the gentleman winning a plush toy for her because he saw that she had liked it.

Her eyes softened. Cloud really was such a _prickly pear._ A charming, handsome one at that, all the same.

A wave of longing and yearning hit her altogether like lightwaves, rendering her to stare simply at the back of him working hard to win her prize. She brought her hand to her chest, feeling the way a flutter had landed on her heart and stayed there like an everlasting butterfly.

A siren went off from the machine. Cloud had effortlessly won the Moogle plushie for her, clawing the toy successfully into the exit slot.

“You did it!” She cheered.

“Yep.”

She offered him her outstretched palms in the form of a hi-five, only to have him shoot her a confused look as if not knowing how to react in his startle. He had definitely _not_ expected that nor seen it coming.

“Alright, good enough,” she giggled, chalking his lack of a reaction down to plain confusion on his part.

Her eyes widened when he offered the Moogle toy to her. “Here.”

“No, you keep it – you won it fair and square,” she shook her head.

“Take it. I’m not going to be walking anywhere with a damn plush toy in my hand,” he placed the toy in her arms.

She hugged the Moogle toy to her chest affectionately. Ribbons of starshine joined with the light in her eyes, radiating nothing but sheer sincerity and gratitude from her expression. “Thank you, Cloud.”

 _Pleasure’s all mine,_ he thought as his heart squirmed at the way she had irresistibly held the plush toy like it meant the world to her. Why did she have to go look so damn adorable like this? She wasn’t being fair to his unprepared heart.

He mentioned he was going to go for a few more rounds while he was on a roll, and she cheered him on. “Let’s keep on truckin’, Cloud!”

When he clawed out another plush Moomba for her, she was nearly dizzy with delight as she hugged it close adjacent to her Moogle toy. “Not half bad, Cloud!”

He smirked. He would leave out mentioning the detail of him growing up playing all these weird claw machines during his Midgar childhood.

“So do you moonlight as a crane operator or something?” She teased, and she was doing that thing again – holding out her palms to him in the air, expecting him to return her hi-five. 

Cloud stood, staring blankly as his thoughts raced like quicksilver. Too much was going through his mind at the moment – her intoxicating scent, her disheveled hair poking at his nose, her affectionate way of holding her new plush toys.

He just could not, would not react to her. Where were his brains? In a pit of mush, no doubt.

Something as simple as returning a hi five was hence lost on him, and she withdrew her palms, shaking her head with a beam. If she was disappointed, she didn’t show it.

 _Shit._ He hoped he hadn’t screwed up anything. No wonder his housemates were always chiding him for his lack of social aptitude. He certainly was acting like a dense idiot who had no notions of social cues whatsoever around himself, much less returning a basic hi-five.

It was hard to think, however, when she was standing so goddamn near by his side, smelling like wildflowers.

“Oh look! Fat Chocobo!” Aerith pointed to another plush toy that had appeared from the depths of the bottom. From their wins, they had uncovered a hidden gem in the machine.

“I’ll get it.” He had slotted another token in.

They spent the next few long, excruciating minutes trying to extricate the fat Chocobo, although it stubbornly refused to move from its place despite all their initial efforts. Aerith was verbally guiding Cloud with directions so he could navigate the arrows on the panel with better ease. With the plush’s larger size, it was much harder trying to pinch its weight into the claw.

“Why’s it always gotta be so tough?” She lamented as the plush toy dropped from the claw again, “Don’t worry, Cloud! Lucky for me, you’ll make this easier.”

He was sighing frustratedly. This damn fat Chocobo! “Yes, ma’am.”

With his ministrations on the buttons and beads of perspiration trickling down the sides of his face in the exertion of his concentration, he had missed the way she had looked at him with such tenderness.

With a few more instructions and a final cheer on her part, the fat Chocobo plush at last made its way into the exit slot of the machine.

Cloud heaved a sigh of relief. At, friggin’, last.

Aerith was cheering, jumping into the air.

“Cloud, up top!” She offered him her palms again, as if oblivious to him having completely blown her off the past two times.

He stared at them, then at the fat Chocobo sat like a fat duck at the bottom of the claw machine – a triumphant win to his and Aerith’s night. His eyes returned to her face, and he finally brought his palms up slowly to meet hers in a hi five, as if it had taken him all the efforts to forget her distracting presence, her complete lack of regard for his personal space, her colliding into his life until he couldn’t remember what it now look like without her in it, before he had willed himself to return her gesture.

(What would his world look like without her in it? That question lingered. _Probably a damn bloody dark world void of his only lighthouse – her._ )

But he brushed that thought away and relished the way a smile weaved to her face as she delighted in their hi-five. She had, at last, gotten a response from him.

He bent to pick up the fat Chocobo plush and all their other plush wins for the night.

At the sight of them all, he couldn’t help a small chuckle. “How are you going to carry all of this?”

“C’mon, let’s find a shopping bag big enough to store our winnings!”

In the end they had settled in putting the Moogle and Moomba toys in a large tote bag he had slung over his shoulders (“as long as nobody can tell I’m carrying plush toys”, he had warned, and begrudgingly took the weight off from her like every inch of the gentleman he was), and she was left to blissfully carry the fat Chocobo plush in her arms.

If his mind wasn’t so preoccupied trying not to think how alluring she looked with her hair all tumbling down the sides of her face and her cheeks imbued with redness from the exhilarations of their night, he thought she looked quite silly holding the fat plushie in her hands that tripled the size of her head at least.

 _Silly, but adorable_ , he added as an afterthought.

“Sure you don’t need a hand?” He asked, a hint of mirth in his tone.

“I’m sure.” She shifted her weight, before spotting an ice cream stand ahead. “In the mood for desserts, Cloud?”

“Hungry again?” But he was already making his way to the shopkeeper, purchasing a strawberry cone for her and a peppermint flavour for himself.

“How did you know I like strawberry?” She questioned with surprised eyes, adjusting the fat Chocobo in one arm so she could hold the ice cream cone in her other hand.

He shrugged, “Uh, good guess?”

She beamed as she took her first lick off the velvety pink texture of ice. From the corner of her eyes, she admired the way he looked so endearingly boyish enjoying his peppermint cone. Despite the storminess of his blue eyes and his cool bravado that he often portrayed to strangers, she knew there was a gentleness that existed in him seldom put on display.

If anything else came out of this night, Aerith mused light-heartedly, at least now she knew what ice cream flavour he liked best. 

From a distance, the city clocktower rang, signalling for midnight. On cue, a magical display of fireworks lit up like a sprinkle of colourful snow-flakes into the colossal galaxies of the night, melding together into the sky like one choreographed blizzard.

Aerith stared skywards, awe-struck – ice cream cone and fat Chocobo plush forgotten in hands.

The fireworks blazed into the velvet black night, exploding like unpredictable chaos into the dark space beyond leaving only blazing trail arcs in its wake. Its stray sparks lit up the city of Zanarkand, blanketing the world below momentarily with its burning colours bursting through the canvas of stars.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She breathed.

Just as the sparks of the fireworks re-ignited the sky once more, Cloud found his attention drifting towards the amber-haired lady. As if a match was lit and sparks had flown, the sprinkling fire dust blinded him to all but her beauty, and he had forgotten to blink, frozen in time. 

When she had smiled, a wheel spun inside of him and struck at his heart as if etching the memory of her inside – exactly this way he wanted to remember her forever. Messy hair, plush toy in hand, rosy flushed cheeks, dazzling smile on her face, her soul entranced by something as simple as fireworks.

Around them, the spectators counted down to a brand, new day. Another day tomorrow when the best of the Tournament season would be behind them, but a new summer would begin.

_Five, four, three…_

Aerith turned towards Cloud, a soft smile clinging to her lips as she noted the pale green of his ice cream on the corner of his mouth.

She finished her strawberry cone, then impulsively, as if riding on the winds of the night, she had tip-toed to his height and brushed a tender finger across his jawline, wiping away the last remnant of his peppermint ice.

That single gesture left him stunned, staring at her, motionless.

“You have ice cream on your face,” she giggled softly. 

_Two,_

As he hastily, innocently brought a hand to touch his face, her heart squeezed.

Just like the countdown had begun, Aerith knew her heart to him, had succumbed.

The fire flowers in the sky warmed the night, enrapturing everything and everyone in sight, slowly but surely robbing Cloud the last of his breath, too, as he stared back at her dumbly, the back of his fingers grazing the last of peppermint ice.

_One._

Something else had detonated in his heart, and it sure as hell wasn’t the fireworks in the sky.

**TBC**

* * *

a/n:

ARE THEY GONNA KISS IDK YOU TELL ME HOHOHO

I hope you enjoyed their date as much as I had! I had to include the whole hi^5 scene from Remake – hope it fitted well ! 😊 I saw a fan-art on Twitter (I only lurk around it occasionally like a ghost lol) of Aerith hugging fat Chocobo to sleep with Cloud by her bedside – anyone else saw that pic before? And the plush-toy idea came to me like WHAM! BAM!

I wrote this fireworks scene with how I imagine CxA kids growing up going “Oh this is the moment my dad fell in love with my mom.” LOL vice versa. Yassssss so there you have it. XD

Review/comment – you know you wanna tell me how much this chapter made you squish yourself in Clerith waffiness! ^^

Myst-san


	12. gondola

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now where the hell was he going to find a date in less than a few days? The gala was coming up, and he’d rather die than attend the ceremony alone while every other man showed up with their beautiful wives and girlfriends.  
> “And if I go with you, will you consider going?”  
> Her words hit him like a million lightning, all at once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: 
> 
> huge warning: if you are a **Zerith/Cloti shipper, pleaseee stay away**. I cannot emphasize enough because you will not hesitate to flame me into a volcano! 
> 
> Otherwise enjoy! I won’t be spoiling too much of this chapter but I hope you proceed with an open mind. As promised I’ll elaborate more on Zack’s backstory here and redeem his badassery somewhat heh. 
> 
> And and! Insert obligatory Clerith gondola scene here. ^^  
> and also refer to my No Beta-read disclaimer from chapter 11. this applies to my entire fic lol my bad.
> 
> Myst-san

**\--x chapter 12: gondola**

Tifa placed a can of Coke in front of the black spikey-haired boy and folded her arms. 

“I thought I asked for your best specialty for a cocktail mix?” Zack cocked an eyebrow before shrugging and downing the fizzy drink she had slid across the bar counter towards him. Honestly, he would kill for any beverage at the moment. He was thirsty, hungry and not in the mood for any more arguments for the night. 

Zack devoured the drink in quick gulps, all too aware of a pair of ruby-wine eyes scrutinising him. 

“What?” He placed the empty can of Coke down, a glint in his eyes as he returned Tifa’s stare, “Never seen anyone as charming as me?” 

“You wish,” she shot him a crossed look, “You chased all my customers away because of all the scenes you created.” 

Zack held up his hands, batting his eyes innocently, “Aw c’mon, bartender, Zack Fair pleads innocent to all charges.” 

“You,” Tifa gritted her teeth, jaw rooted, “are a first-class idiot.”

“Still you aren’t chasing me away,” he pointed out matter-of-factly, only receiving her death glare as a response. 

Tifa was holding back her anger and suppressing it lest she vented them all on the only target in sight – him, Zack Fair. If she was being honest with herself, she didn’t know if she was merely acting out of protective anger on behalf of her friends that Zack and his Altissia friends had came along to cause a scene with the Raiders, or she was acting more out of nasty jealousy that had reared its ugly head inside her brains when she had first hand witnessed Cloud pulling Aerith out of the bar. 

Regardless, Zack Fair was her only customer aside from a few other random strangers in the bar, and with him seated directly across her at the bar counter, he was a convenient aim to arrow all her anger and sulkiness.

“So,” Tifa decided to change the topic, shifting her pent up emotions onto some other focus, “Aerith was your ex-girlfriend?” 

“Yep,” Zack now was on his second can of Coke that Tifa had reluctantly offered him (albeit more like she had shot him daggers before plonking the can drink in front of him), “Lovely, gorgeous lady. But we were only what…seventeen, eighteen? back then, and highly incompatible.” 

Tifa gave him a peculiar look. She wasn’t one to pry, but something told her there was more to Zack Fair than his couldn’t-care-less attitude, “So you broke up with her because of that?”

“Hey, I would be the first to admit I was somewhat of a douchebag at eighteen, you know,” Zack gave a hooting laugh, but it was boisterously over-the-top, and Tifa sensed he was hiding some sorrow behind his animated, loud act. Zack’s eyes turned to the bartender, suddenly gauging her seriously as if he couldn’t believe he was sharing with her his inner thoughts even though they had just barely met. 

He continued, “We were just two persons who wanted different things. Things would never have worked out between us. I wanted popularity, friends, fun, too much – even now, maybe,” he shrugged, “Aerith was so brilliant at everything she did. Hardworking, focussed, and always content to be in her own world, and I admired and respected her for that…only,” he paused. 

“...Only you two were too different?” Tifa probed. 

Zack nodded, “Yep. More like we had too different goals and values, I’d say. I guess breaking up with her by just parading a new girlfriend around the school next day was a cruel dick move. They called me the heartless heartbreaker – I don’t deny it. But could I have done it differently? If I had been less cruel, softer even, we would have just gone on our usual hiatus and then get back together again…Aerith deserved someone better, and it wasn’t me. So I had to do what I did – quick, cruel, effective. We had to break up, clean, and for good.” 

A strange look flashed across his face, “Some say _too_ effective, perhaps.” There was a melancholic tilt to his tone that the bartender didn’t miss.

Tifa’s eyes implored his, but when she didn’t interrupt him, he had continued.

“And I think the bigger motivation behind my decision to end things between us was when she had told me the night before that she had been accepted into the music conservatory of her dreams.” There was a strange, faraway look in his eyes.

Tifa paused, then answered on his behalf, “Zanarkand University?”

“Yep,” he nodded, swirling the Coke can in his palm, “I know Aerith well. She had wanted that scholarship, wanted that dream since she was a child. But she would have given it all up in a heartbeat to stay behind in Midgar with me if I wasn’t going to come with her. I couldn’t let her…just throw it all away. Not for me. I hadn’t told her then, but I had been offered a place to study in Altissia, and…well, long-distance would have sucked for us. That, plus the fact that we were incompatible. I knew I wasn’t the right man for her, and it wasn’t fair to hold her back from finding her happiness. There was one last thing to do, and if I have to act like a jerk for it and make her hate me, then so be it.”

A sombre silence hung in the air.

“Did you…have any feelings for her?” Tifa couldn’t help but ask. 

“Heh, I was in high school when all my peers were getting into relationships and stuff, snagging hot chicks and parading them around,” he confessed matter-of-factly, “It was more so peer pressure that I gave into. I knew Aerith had a crush on me, and it wasn’t difficult to court her.”

When Tifa had raised her eyebrow in a skeptic manner, Zack considered her question thoughtfully, “Don’t get me wrong. Aerith’s amazing. But for myself, being eighteen wasn’t a mature enough age to invest my feelings in anyone completely. I wasn’t willing to settle down just yet. Even now… I don’t know, man. Romance isn’t really my thing, nor do I care much for that lovey-dovey kinda stuff.”

Tifa met his eyes, feeling the sudden coolness of his icy blue eyes. “Maybe…you just haven’t met the one.” 

“Maybe.” Zack shrugged and fought back a yawn. Perhaps it was true. He hadn’t met any woman who had caught his interest so far. His friends repeatedly teased him that he needed to lower his expectations somewhat.

“Anyhow,” he shrugged the thought off, “Mister star player over there awhile ago looked like a good match for my ex. I actually find myself trusting him to take care of her better than I trust myself.” 

Thinking about Cloud and Aerith again brought a burning sensation hissing through Tifa’s body like poison. She fought it down. “You think so?” 

He gave a broad grin, “Have you seen the way he looked at her?” 

Tifa tried her hardest to not to frown. If she was moody earlier, she was thoroughly down in the pits now.

Before her, Zack gestured his fingers into the sign of three – signalling his desire for a third can of Coke. He was going to chug down so much caffeinated soda tonight and forget about having created a damn scene in a city that wasn’t even where he lived.

Could he help barging in tonight, though? He had made himself look like a complete, drunken fool belligerently demanding for a rematch, but inwardly he could care less about Blitzball. Hell, he didn’t even play that sport, just a friggin’ undergraduate student from another far-flung city. With all the pressure that had been laid on his shoulders as Altissia’s university president, the student body and the government had coerced him to take a stance against the Raiders.

Zack sighed. Those Altissians cared more about saving their own damned faces. They had lost, plainly, in a Blitzball match fair and square to the Raiders, but they had apparently regarded sports as some sort of politicking game. Hence what they had deemed a farce of national pride, they had called on Zack Fair to salvage it if he didn’t want to lose his position as university president. 

Fuck that. Fuck them. Did everyone think he truly enjoyed spending time wrecking everyone’s celebratory night up when he could be out there partying himself silly? But no, they had emotionally blackmailed him – “don’t come back until you’ve at least tried to convince them for a rematch”, they’ve told him – and so he found himself here, chugging Coke, sat in front of a bar counter before a bartender. 

Well, at least this one was good looking, and hella attractive. 

He eyed Tifa, who noticed it and glared at him. 

“Tch, easy, bartender. Haven’t gotten your name by the way,” he held up his third can of Coke to her, “Cheers.” 

“It’s Tifa,” she crossed her arms, “and don’t you dare get any strange ideas.” She had seen the way he had glimpsed at her cleavage – like almost every other man that had come her way. 

“Please, I’m a lot hotter than you are,” he winked, clinking his can against her empty glass, anyway, “Sure you’re not the one getting any strange ideas about me instead?” 

“Get. Out!” 

* * *

The amusement park below drew Aerith’s eyes earth-bound. 

She and Cloud were sat skyhigh up in the gondola wheel ride, and it had taken her much convincing of her part before he had finally agreed to let her drag him to the ride – his bag full of their plush wins in tow, and fat Chocobo in her other arm. They sketched a hilarious silhouette against the shadows of the Zanarkand night when Cloud mused about it in retrospect. 

When the gondola door had closed behind them, Cloud had felt a sudden noose tightening around his neck. The thought of being all alone with the amber-haired lady petrified him out of his dear wits, and he couldn’t stand to entertain the notion of being trapped in an enclosed space with her for an extended amount of time. Goodness knows what his nerves and heart would do to his messed-up brains again. 

Honestly, Cloud had long ago stopped trusting himself and his actions whenever she was near. Like right now – when she was fascinatingly staring out of the glass windows to take in the sights below them. Aerith was watching the hustle and bustle of crowds edging forward, the majority of them dancing carefree to the carnival lamps above, cradled in the center like bees to a pot of honey. Girls and boys moved to the music that came from nowhere, and people hugged and embraced like they would never have a night like this again. 

Aerith gripped her fingers around the hems of her skirt, her voice quiet with awe, “You know, Cloud, I can’t believe I’ve missed _this_ my whole life.”

He watched her, couldn’t stop watching her, “Got to embrace this moment, right?”

His voice had sounded calm, giving away nothing of his crazed heart still thudding with trepidation, especially when a good thirty minutes ago down at the park he had nearly lost his brains trying to move closer to Aerith when the fireworks had gone off. 

In that inexplicable moment seared into his memory when she had brushed the ice cream off his mouth and he swore he had heard the fireworks scatter in his heart, not just in the sky, Cloud had moved without his own will. As if the strings of a marionette had tugged him so much closer to her, he had unthinkably taken a step forward, wanting to close the distance between them, overwhelmed by a sudden yearning he couldn’t fathom even now. 

Thankfully before she could register the enormity of his unintelligent actions, Cloud had felt the yellow fur of the fat Chocobo poking into his stomach and ribs. 

_Stupid fat Chocobo,_ he had thought. Coming in between them like this. 

But it had served as a harsh reminder to him of where he was, and all that craving and longing came crashing down on him; hauling him back to reality. When fat Chocobo had literally stabbed him with its fur, it had rudely jolted him from his trance. Beating a hasty retreat, his feet had sprung warily back to where he first stood, drawing a careful wedge between him and Aerith once more.

Relief had flooded him like a dam. How could he have nearly lost all self-control and almost committed _something_ so incredulous? 

(Although what that ‘something’ was, his clueless brains denied him further access to that strand of thought.)

So now all that was left was to simply cave in to her whims again, and they were up, up, up in the air on this damned gondola ride. Cloud thought how peculiar it was that Aerith had a thing for amusement rides that went endlessly in circles. 

Although, as he cast another glance at her, being stuck up here with her suddenly didn’t seem such a bad idea. 

A text notification beeped from his phone, jerking him back from his thoughts.

Aerith gave him a curious look as he read the contents of it, and despite his usual hard exterior, she had interpreted the fleeting pride and hint of joy flashing across his eyes. “Something happened?” She queried. 

The light of his phone illuminated the features of his chiselled face, and Cloud apologetically put his phone back into his pocket, “Yea, s’cuse me.” 

“Don’t worry about it. Is everything alright? I must say you do look quite happy,” she told him.

His eyes rounded at her – even for a splitting second, she had noticed. 

“Yep,” he confessed, “Just a message from my coach. They’ve named me MVP of the Tournament.” 

Although Cloud had tried brushing the news off nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders and a dismissive look, Aerith’s face had brightened up immediately as she sat straighter in her seat.

“MVP?” She couldn’t help but to exclaim, finding it hard to contain her excitement, “Isn’t that like the most valuable player of the Tournament? It’s a coveted award, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Cloud nodded casually, trying to make it seem like it was no big deal. 

But Aerith read him like an open book. From those nanoseconds when his eyes had acquired a glimmer, she could tell this piece of news meant a lot to Cloud. She gave his hand a tiny squeeze, and he shuddered instinctively – from the chill of the night air up above the gondola ride or the sizzle of her touch, he couldn’t tell.

“That’s great news, Cloud, I’m happy for you,” she congratulated sincerely. 

He averted his gaze elsewhere but at her, unable to take another second of her looking at him like that. A date night with her had been enough to reduce him to nothing but a pile of goo, and now she was going to the lengths of demolishing all coherent thoughts from his brains. 

“T-Thanks,” he tried to distract himself with the fat Chocobo seated across them. For some reason , he hadn’t minded when she had chosen to sit next to him while their plush wins had their own personal seats designated across them in the gondola. Aerith had begun to treat the toys like her own precious pets. _Theirs._

He coughed, not meaning to think that way. 

“So what does that mean for you? You get something like a medal or something?” She wondered aloud. Aerith was curious of what a life for a professional athlete entailed. She wanted to know a whole lot more about Cloud. 

“Yep, there’s usually a Blitzball gala at the end of every Tournament. Every team player gets invited, along with the big shots of the game -- old legends who’ve retired, VIPs, managers, the likes,” he explained patiently, “That’s when they give out awards at the ceremony and crown the champions officially.” 

“Sounds like a huge black-tie event and everything.” Aerith was imagining a fancy gala with fascination. 

“Yep, the press and reporters go all out on this gala night. It’s the only time you see all the sporting celebrities and legends get together in one venue,” he elaborated. 

“And you?” She asked curiously, “Are you excited for it?” 

Cloud stopped, slowly shaking his head, “I…don’t usually turn up.” 

She looked startled, “Why not? It’s a big event for the Zanarkand Raiders, right?” 

Too embarrassed to explain further, he raked a nervous hand through his hand. At her coaxing face, his tense shoulders had relaxed considerably, and he was rambling the truth before he knew it.

“Uh, most guests take a plus one with them to the gala.” He left his words there – as if it explained everything. 

_Oh._ Aerith suddenly understood. It was why he had looked flustered and avoided the topic. 

“But, this is your first time winning MVP, I’m guessing?” She asked gently, her voice soothing like cascading waterfalls.

Cloud wondered why she made him feel like he could tell her everything; anything. “Yep.” 

“You should be there,” she encouraged “your team would want to see you up on stage receiving your award. It’s not everyday one gets to be MVP, you know, Cloud. And you worked hard for it.” 

“I know, but…” He couldn’t finish his sentence, trailing off at the dismaying thoughts racking his brains.

Where the hell was he going to find a date in less than a few days? The gala was coming up, and he’d rather die than attend the ceremony alone while all of Gaia’s Blitzball players showed up with their beautiful wives and girlfriends. It had been the number one reason why he had avoided the gala in the past years. Turning up alone – that would serve as a deeper sucker punch to his guts than anything else, regardless if he was MVP out of all of them or not. 

“But you don’t have a date, is that it?” She guessed, her eyes light and teasing. They were full of life; combined with her smile warmer than the gentle sun. 

His cheeks burnt, and he hid the colors from her in the moonlit shadows. 

It wasn’t as if he couldn’t ask Tifa or any of his other rabid fangirls who would only be too happy to tag along as his plus one, but why should he? It would be torture attending events with someone whose company he didn’t fancy. He’d much rather stay home and plough through his video games for company.

But…But…

“And if I go with you, will you consider going?” She asked him earnestly, wearing a hopeful smile on her expression. 

It hit him like a million lightning, all at once. Her words, her smile. Too much, for him to bear. 

_If she goes with me? If Aerith goes with me?_ Her question barely registered on him.

Hell, they could be on a barren, empty land lost in desolateness, and Cloud would still gladly entertain the thought, much less a gala night with his teammates to receive his MVP award. He could care less about the abominable flashing camera lights and hounding media teams fielded from everywhere. 

“I…I…” He was at a loss of words, and Aerith misinterpreted it as a sign of rejection.

Her eyes dimmed slightly, and she briskly looked down at her hands folded in her lap. “Sorry, maybe I was being too brash. You probably have someone else better in mind,” she apologized, “I only thought it’d be nice for you to attend what would be an important night for you, Cloud. No other intentions, I promise.” 

Inwardly Aerith cursed her impulsiveness, and briefly remembered Tifa. Had he meant to ask her instead?

 _Now I’ve made a fool of myself. You’re so silly, Aerith!_ She ought to think twice before speaking her mind next time.

“No,” Cloud had quickly cut in, his eyes desperately willing hers to look up, “I didn’t mean it like that, Aerith.” 

“Really?” Hopefulness tinged her eyes, so striking yet soft that it crawled under his muscles, turning his blood hot. 

“I…” Cloud shook his head. G _et a grip, Strife! Now man up, take a deep breath, and just do what has to be done._

He exhaled a whoosh of breath from his lungs. “If you don’t mind, that is.” 

A heartbeat passed; a frozen second. 

His pulse raced so fast as he waited for her response, he thought he was seeing stars swirl in his vision.

Why was she not saying anything, but looking at him like he had cornstalks growing out of his ears? 

“I mean,” he was ranting now, a symptom of his boyish nervousness, “it’d be rude not to turn up, and Reeve would probably be pissed at me, but it’s not like I want to impose on you, Aerith—” 

She had playfully poked him in the shoulder, her touch tender to his skin. 

Her eyes had softened. “Oh you, I’ll go with you, of course. If you’re sure I’ll make an okay plus one.” 

_An okay plus one?_ Hell, she was more than okay. The way her eyes sparkled whenever she talked about something she loved, her ability to make people smile and chatter around her with her infectious energy – in the same natural way the wave kisses the shore each time and the moon embraces the clouds… No – she wasn’t _just_ okay for something as temporary as her looks...

...She was savagely _beautiful,_ deep down to her soul, as if she had a galaxy of stars residing within her atoms. Looking at her was like staring into the sun, and yet you could never tear your eyes away, he thought.

Cloud knew; was certain, she would be more than the perfect plus one for his date. 

“Yep,” but his nerves got to him and that as all he managed verbally in the end, “I’m sure you’ll be fine.” 

_More than fine._

She let out a soft giggle, feeling suddenly conscious of her insecurities all at once. “Gotta impress the media, huh? After all, I am the Raiders’ star player plus one.” 

He thought she looked perfect the way she was already. 

“Gotta admit, I feel abit stressed out about it,” she admitted, “When’s the gala?” 

“This Saturday late night.” 

“Oh,” her eyes rounded, “I’ve got a concert in the evening…I can meet you after, is that ok? I promise I’ll look decent enough as your date.” 

_But you look more than decent already…_ He thought point-blankly, then snapped out of it and cursed his stupid brains daydreaming away. What the hell was he thinking? 

“I’ll go pick you up,” he told her, “Genesis Hall, right?” 

“Yes, you got it memorized,” her eyes twinkled. “So…it’s a date?” 

His heart skidded. _What do I say?_

The truth. 

“Yep.” 

Their gondola ride halted at the tallest peak of the wheel, and the stars above them hung like nature’s silvery dance, giving light and hope into the world below, illuminating warmth into every receiver’s heart – into hers, and his. 

* * *

Barret observed the couple seated at the back of the car with intense scrutiny through the rear-view mirror. 

The digital clock in Vincent’s car ticked towards the wee hours of the morning – it was nearly three o’ clock now. In the tranquillity of the moonful night that had enveloped over their hushed silhouettes in the car, no one had dared break the silence, afraid of waking the slumbering flower-girl sat behind. Her tired eyelashes closed with the loveliest of half-crescents, her head tilted easily into the curve of a certain spikey-haired boy’s shoulder as if it fitted there like it belonged. 

The big man resisted a bear-like grin on his face as he spotted Cloud’s hard scowl from his reflection in the car mirror.

The look on the star player’s face said everything: _Nobody dare say anything that will wake her. I’ll kill you._

Behind the steering wheel, Vincent drove on wordlessly, his eyes concentrating on making out the murky darkness of the unlit roads taking him and his housemates back to their university residences. Along the journey, he had mildly amused himself by occasionally taking a peek through the rear-view mirror, not dissimilar to Barret’s sneakiness, somewhat entertained by the peculiar turn of events tonight. 

An hour ago when the Turks and them had dispersed home from the billiards saloon, contented to finally call it a well-spent celebratory night, Cid had urged Barret to phone their youngest housemate to check if he was still alive. Not like they had any cause to fret over Cloud when he and Aerith had ‘eloped’ out of the bar, Cid had joked, because he was a big boy who could take care of himself, but as the hours approached past midnight, they had gotten worried that their youngest housemate might not have any sort of transport back to their apartment. Especially if he had Aerith with him. 

In retrospect, Cloud had been thankful for Barret’s phonecall, and requested if Vincent could swing by the city center for him and Aerith to hitch a ride back together. 

Ahead of them as Vincent’s sleek automobile moved along and the moonlight stole away the other colours of the sky until the world was cast seemingly into a black and white film, Cloud found himself relaxing into the passenger seat. The serenity of the night calmed his senses, and he was suddenly aware of how completely worn out his muscles were; how exhausted he truly felt after what had been a long, strenuous Tournament taxing on his body and mind. 

“You okay, kid?” Beside him, Cid had noticed the younger boy draw a weary sigh. Poor boy looked drained – what must have been the aftermath of a long Blitzball season. Eye circles hung from the rims of Cloud’s aquamarine eyes now struggling to keep open. 

“I’m fine,” Cloud nodded. He looked to his side where Aerith had fallen asleep next to him with a weight against his shoulder, and his eyes shimmered with a softness not unlike the gentlest streams glistening before it joined the oceans. “Thanks for picking us up.”

Cloud had meant it – he couldn’t imagine how he and Aerith could have found their way home otherwise when taxis in the partying Zanarkand scene had turned scarce and public transport had all ceased at this hour. Despite his aversion to his housemates’ company at times, he knew he counted on them too often to come rescue his ass whenever he needed. 

“Doncha mention it,” Barret said, careful to lower the volume of his trademark loud voice so as not to wake Aerith.

“Everything okay back at the bar just now?” Cloud asked, genuinely concerned. He acted like a prick hundred percent of the time, but he could never stand to watch his teammates get into trouble and not having been there for them. 

“Rufus bailed everyone out of there before a fight could break out. He did the sensible thing,” Vincent was speaking now while driving. He shifted his attention slightly on the younger boy in the rear-view mirror, “We hit up a billiards saloon after and stayed there until Barret phoned you to check if you needed a ride.” 

Cloud nodded, suppressing a yawn tickling his features. God, he was tired to the bones. “What about the Altissians?” 

“They bark better than they bite. Nothing to worry about,” Cid answered diplomatically, “Technically they won’t be able to demand for an official rematch – it’ll be a logistical and PR nightmare for every Blitzball team in Gaia. The media will go ballistic. The sporting federation will never allow it.” 

Cloud paused, thinking through Cid’s words, “So the Raiders’ title is safe?” 

“Yep. The most the Altissians can do is to call for an unsanctioned match. One undercover from the media and fans. A personal debt to settle between two teams. But that wouldn’t make sense, would it?” Cid continued. He obviously had thought through his friends’ worst-case scenarios.

“No, it wouldn’t,” Cloud agreed, and reclined quietly back into his seat, closing his eyes in relief. It was as if getting a quick shut-eye had zapped him out of all physical energy. He couldn’t think; only feel.

And all he felt now was the fabric of Aerith’s dress against his shirt, the folds of her skirt against his thighs, the scent of her floral shampoo wafting through his nose, and the light sounds of her soft snores reaching his ears like music, and he was lost in the fogginess of half dreams half reality filled with her image, and hers alone. 

“Rest up, Spike,” Barret advised, giving a yawn himself. It had been a wild night with the Turks, and most of them had passed out drunk on the floor of the billiards saloon eventually. Hopefully Elena had gotten them home in their taxis okay in the end. “We’ll wake you when we’re almost home.” 

_Home._

In the blur of sleep Cloud slipped into, the word resonated in his stomach like ebbing tides and settled warmly like silk. Wherever home was, Cloud was suddenly certain he was closer to it now than he ever was back in the slums of Midgar growing up most of the time alone if not for the sole company and affections of his mother. 

Here, strangely in the enclosed albeit almost claustrophobic small space of the steel vehicle carrying its passengers, he was surrounded by the comforting presence of his housemates and _her_ …and nothing had fitted so right it felt like home. 

Cloud closed his eyes and fell instantly asleep, unconscious of the way when Vincent had steered the car round the corner, gravity had lulled the weight of his head so his chin now rested against the softness of Aerith’s hair.

Wherein he was used to drowning in nightmares of him holding a pale, frail, faceless woman in his arms rendering him helpless and in grief each time, those long-forgotten dreams now scattered into wisps, replaced by abundant fields of wildflowers and starry nights. Of _her._ Of a single memory of a smiling amber-haired lady with the most enticing face, of her floral scent woven into his dreams, left hours after she had touched him. 

Cloud slept fitfully, never awakening once even as his teammates watched over him from the reflection in the car. 

It sent the smallest trace of a smile intercepting on the face of a usually reticent Vincent. The sight of the couple leaning against each other, lost in blissful dreams, created some sort of serenade against the backdrop of the night; a melody so sweet and tangible as if softly spun of sugar. 

“Cute, huh?” Cid seemed to have read Vincent’s thoughts.

Vincent gave a quiet nod, driving smoothly over the bumps on the road to ensure the couple stayed fast asleep. “Never thought we’d live to see this day.” 

“Our boy’s growing up fast, eh,” Barret flashed a toothy grin. 

“Where do you think the kiddo brought his girl the whole night?” Cid winked, popping a candy into his restless mouth when he sensed he was too far along on his next cigarette butt. 

“Betcha they must’ve hit the carnival,” Barret guessed. It did make sense. They had a truckload full of plush toys in the back of Vincent’s car boot, as if they were self-explanatory of the couple’s whereabouts tonight. 

“Never thought Strife’s the romantic type,” Vincent chipped in, amusement flickering in his crimson red eyes. He imagined the couple hitting up the amusement park and Cloud walking around with plush toys in hand. Vincent had to smile. 

“If Spike breaks her heart…” Cid started, the lines of his forehead creasing.

Barret turned around, holding up a balled fist, “Then we throttle him.” 

“…Together,” Vincent finished. 

And then all three of them left awake had exchanged glances in the rear-view mirror, proceeding to break into flashy, knowing grins. 

As the peaceful hour idled away, the gentle hum of the automobile engine and the rhythmic passing of other cars on the streets created a consonance that worked its lullaby into the serene night. The revelry of the Zanarkand night wilted away, leaving only the dazzling assemblage of glittering stars cast over the city that never sleeps, before the first light of dawn unfurled, anew.

**Tbc**

* * *

a/n: 

YAY NEXT UP: Gala night, with Aerith as Cloud-san’s plus one whee ^^

I hoped you liked the last friendshippy scene. Barret/Cid/Vinny/Cloud here reminds me A LOT of FFXV bachelor-style road trip. If you play FFXV, I think you’ll understand what I mean. AHHHH. 

Also for Zifa implied scene – What do you guys think? I kept it relatively open to interpretation but I do think Zack would make a probable match for Tifa. I’m not saying that because I just wanna toss Tifa to the next guy that isn’t Cloud LOL.

Comment/review and tell me what you think! ; )

Myst-san 


	13. Fenrir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a/n: 
> 
> aka the chapter that Cloud starts to turn into complete goo for Aerith. 
> 
> Still…Cloud is Cloud and he remains dense. FOR NOW. 
> 
> And here is your obligatory motorbike scene for Clerith ^^ 
> 
> Insert no beta-read disclaimer here (refer to chap 11 a/n ) 
> 
> Myst-san

**\--x chapter 13: Fenrir**

It was a full house this evening. 

Cloud sat amidst the back seats of the crowd facing the concert stage. He hadn’t anticipated tickets being snapped up so quickly the minute the queue online had opened, and after what had been a mad furore where he recalled managing between multiple internet browsers on his laptop, he had at last snagged one of the last remaining seats in the house.

Surely he was the fish out of water here navigating uncharted territory into her world this time round. He hadn’t foreseen the massive number of fans willing to fork out good money to watch Aerith starring in her music concert. 

Cloud fiddled with the collar of his smart shirt as his eyes scanned the stage expectantly. When the visibly excited crowd settled into their seats, a spotlight shone onto the stage, illuminating the darkness. A shadow hidden behind the pitch-black darkness materialized, taking shape.

The crowd held their breaths, and so did he. 

Before the four-thousand strong sold-out audience, the amber-haired violinist raised her violin to her jaw, poised to perform. Specks of light accentuated her eyes to the hues of greenest spring and played with her lustrous hair.

Aerith stepped out looking absolutely divine in a pastel lavender chiffon evening gown with tiered lace detailing and ribbon waist teamed with silver jewels, which when paired with her gorgeous smile as she took a slight bow ready to perform, had inevitably taken every one’s breath away. The delicate neckline and satin fabric cleaving to her porcelain skin highlighted the sensual, feminine curves beneath her slender frame.

 _Breathe, Strife, breathe._ And yet his lungs constricted and all art of taking in air was lost on him.

How the hell had she managed to look so brave, so bright, so soft all at once, standing solo with violin in hand, right in front of everyone else? And yet she never seemed to lose her flecks of strength even as she started her performance and advanced through her music. 

He would not, could not tear his eyes away. _This_ was a vision of perfection. 

Aerith’s career was clearly on the ascendancy. From the first notes in her concerto, she had engaged every soul in the room. Cloud observed the audience’s rapt attention shift from fascination, awe, sorrow, joy to a whole array of emotions whenever Aerith altered the mood of her music accordingly to her musical interpretation, without forsaking once the complexity of her lush, compact sound. 

Just standing there with violin in arm, she was potent – transporting her listeners to an imaginary, spectacular world where only her admirable playing and impressive candenzas could bring. 

When the crowd roared their approval, standing up to give a ferocious ovation, Cloud had found himself swallowing, staring hard. 

The distance in the concert hall separating him and Aerith had never felt so near and yet so incredibly far. 

When the concert drew to a finish, Cloud had scurried off backstage, unthinkably spurred on by some resolute determination to remedy this inexplicable yearning of his to be much closer to her. In all honesty, he could no longer rationalise why every second, every minute apart from Aerith seemed to stitch themselves into never-ending seams that travelled only impossibly longer. 

_What is wrong with me?_ He thought in half despair half nervousness as his feet found themselves advancing backstage. He was helplessly drawn to her like flies to burning lights, and couldn’t for the life of him understand. 

He had wrecked his poor brains out the other night after their carnival date, crawling into bed restlessly by his lonesome, as if all of a sudden unaccustomed to not having her skin against his and her shampoo in his nose. 

Tossing and turning in bed, he had eventually buried himself under the blankets with his head smeared with her memory and her lingering scent. Even raiding the fridge for his usual cold glass of milk had done nothing to soothe his frazzled heart. 

Cloud rested against the wall of the corridor leading backstage, presently fumbling with the paper bags in his hands. He knew he was acting out of sorts and his knees were readily giving way anytime, certainly a far cry from the star player everybody knew as someone so used to coolly somersaulting and flipping his way around the Blitzball sphere, charming every fangirl in his wake. 

_Fuck,_ he exhaled, _I’m nervous. Why the fuck am I nervous? It’s just a girl. It’s just Aerith._

That…was the problem. It was Aerith – and that alone changed everything. 

His phone beeped, snapping him out of his wandering thoughts. His pulse raced as he checked the phone, aquamarine eyes skimming over the electronic font. 

_Wait for me? : )_

He ran his thumb over the phone in a reply. _Yep._

Cloud inhaled, counting to three, and then the slowdown of time began. All over again. 

“Heya, Cloud,” a familiar voice greeted from the distance. 

His heart leapt. _Ready, Strife?_

Nope – never. He would never be ready for Aerith Gainsborough. 

Still, he spun around and glimpsed her approaching with a cheery wave. Those damned eyes of hers bound him to the spot like he had grown roots to the earth. 

She was at his side in a heartbeat, radiating sunshine. Her eyes the blend of a million stars made his world alright again. 

“Hey,” Cloud fumbled to hide the brown paper bags in his hands, but she caught sight of them anyway.

“Aw c’mon, what are you hiding behind you, Cloud?” She extended a hand, eyes looking at him with playful curiosity.

He tried to shrug it off casually, “Thought you might be hungry before we hit the gala.” 

Eyes rounding, she pried the paper bag from his fingers. Upon opening and staring into it, her eyes had danced excitedly.

“You brought me burger and fries!” Aerith exclaimed, delight shining on her face. 

Cloud decided it _had_ been a good decision after all to swing by the fast-food restaurant earlier on. He nodded at her, “Yep. You hungry?” 

“Very much!” A stellar smile stole her features.

He had bought his share as well, and they ate out of their takeaways from brown paper bags as he walked her towards the carpark outside Genesis Hall. They were on good timing – another hour before they were due at the gala later tonight. 

More than enough time… with _her_ , before the Blitzball crowds and media descended like sharks at the venue later. 

Above them, the glorious sun was setting in the sky, spreading its rich hues far and wide the colour of fire hearths and tangerines. The first starlight descended into sight, and the promise of a new blanket of night sky was soon to come. 

They finished their takeaways by the time he led her to his new sleek vehicle shining under dissolving sunlight. 

Aerith’s eyes widened, absolutely not believing what she was seeing.

“Cloud, what is this?” She looked amazed. 

Before her, a spanking new motorbike stood in all its glory. 

Aerith could sense the man behind her glow with unspoken pride. Was he…smirking? Was the unflappable Cloud Strife looking at his motorbike like it was his favourite treasure in the universe? Aerith wanted to laugh – she couldn’t believe she was actually envious of the way he had looked at his motorbike the way she wanted him to look at her. 

“Yep. Got my post-Tournament paycheck two nights ago. Been eyeing this for ages.” There was a triumphant edge to his tone. Aerith could tell how much he liked his motorbikes, and she cracked a broad smile in response. 

“I didn’t know you had a license,” she teased. 

He snorted, “Been biking illegally since 14 until I got my license a few years later. My mom nearly had my head when I crashed the first time in high school.” 

“You _are_ silly, Cloud,” giggles escaped her, “Crazy, and silly.” 

“Hn,” he flourished a hand towards his motorbike, “Ready to meet Fenrir?” 

Aerith flashed him her most brilliant smile, and waved at his motorbike chirpily, “Good evening, Mr. Fenrir!” 

He rolled his eyes. She acted like such a dork sometimes. Unfortunately, adorably so.

Cloud swiftly hopped onto Fenrir, feeling the rumble of the machine and relishing in the feel of its engine fuelling to life. A familiar surge of adrenaline coursed through him as he coaxed more power from the magnificent machine. One foot off the ground resting on the pedestal, he turned to Aerith, a faint smirk hanging from his lips. 

“Ready?” He asked. 

She eyed the machine hesitantly, folding her arms, “Uh, Cloud, I must admit I’ve never been on one.” There was a sheepish look on her face.

“You’ll be fine,” he reassured.

“I know,” Aerith nodded, taking a deep breath as she approached Fenrir tentatively, “Lucky for me, you’re here, right? Here goes.” 

He held back a wry smile and offered her his hand. 

She accepted it, smiling all the while – one that sent shockwaves down the length of his spine to the curves of his toes as he began to stir the engines awake. Cloud tried hard to distract himself with the silvery, metallic beauty of his vehicle glittering like a present under sunshine waiting to be opened, but all he could think of as she climbed aboard behind him on Fenrir, was the way her fingers had tentatively grazed the fabric of his smart shirt before her arms had snaked around his sturdy waist. 

“Ready,” she breathed. Behind him, her breaths sent shivers like cool waters of the sea on the hottest day of summer into his skin.

Cloud exhaled, feeling her touch torch every vein, every vessel.

She leant closer, enough for him to feel her breath light as a feather and hot against his neck drifting down his back. Was it any wonder, as she smiled and rested her chin atop his shoulder, that he had instantly questioned himself why it became so much harder to breathe?

He didn’t dare move, as if doing so would shatter this moment.

“Sorry, I didn’t think about your dress,” he apologized, embarrassingly noting the way the ends of her gown had hiked up to her calves, exposing the silky expanse of skin just enough to send his heart skittering. He hurriedly looked away, visibly flustered.

She giggled. “You’re worried about that when I’m not? Oh please, it’s not everyday I get to ride a bike with my prince charming. This is so much better than a carousel horse, don’t you think?”

At her words, he allowed the trace of a smile to stay a tad longer on his lips than he had intended.

“Shall we mosey on over?” Her voice sounded silken against his ears.

“Let’s.”

It took Cloud all his years of self-discipline and immense control to fight the urge to turn around and admire her terrific eyes. Hence, he had simply let his gaze settle on the way her fingers had fastened around his waist.

When they were _this_ close, he could smell her shampoo, and it drove him to that terrifying edge of losing his sanity.

As they rode away into the setting sun, leaving behind a golden sky the great work of nature’s art as it overlooked the earth, sepia tones stretched out and eventually gave way to the gathering colours of the night. Silhouette of birds flew across the sky that was now magenta, and the glorious sun half-submerged into the horizon, intensifying the mauve of the dusky sky.

As Fenrir raced across the Zanarkand landscape, Aerith realized all her fears and doubts on being on a motorbike for her first time disappeared the moment she had sat behind Cloud and felt his comfort and warmth beneath the taut muscles corded along her fingers. His body emanated so much heat it scorched at her every bone, cocooning her body into an everlasting sanctuary.

Irresistibly, she found herself tightening her hold around him. Cheek resting gently against his back, she savoured the way the wind played at her hair and the sight of starlight rippling across Cloud’s handsome features. They were so close, she could smell him – he was that perfect tantalizing blend of chlorine and cinder and firewood on a wintry morning all in one.

In her state of temporary bliss, she remained oblivious to the crumbling walls breaking into bits in front of her. Cloud thought he would surely faint if he wasn’t spending half of his attention trying to focus on steering Fenrir.

And that would be a disaster, because Fenrir would stall or veer off the road into a heap of burnt metal, and then worst-case scenario would have them stranded halfway on the highway in the middle of nowhere.

Not like _that_ would be such a bad idea, but they had a gala to attend tonight, and he couldn’t let himself succumb to a fainting spell no matter how unavoidable the situation was turning out to be, with her distracting arms around him. 

“Hey, Cloud?” She murmured into his back, so softly, he had almost missed it.

“Hmm?” His palms gripped the bike handles tighter, steadying himself and his accelerating pulse. He was doing anything he could to salvage his nerves from fraying further, but her voice against his ear had done nothing but crushed him more.

“I…I’m glad I met you, Cloud,” her whisper came evenly, as if she had carefully measured her thoughts for a while. “I really am.”

Her words invoked something in him, and he found himself gripping on to Fenrir, for dear life.

_Wha-What?_

As if a long-ago haunting memory had returned to trigger the uneasy sensations within him, a sudden vision of the helpless, faceless woman in his distant dreams he had once upon a time watched her die flashed across his mind.

 _That_ , coupled with Aerith’s sudden words that came out of nowhere, scared the hell out of him. Fear unexplainably planted itself in him like a bomb, and Cloud felt suddenly compelled to do anything – turn around, shake Aerith senseless and ask what she had meant by that. Logic fled from his brains, and so he acted on an impulsive heart.

Cloud hit the brakes, and Fenrir skidded to a stop, in the middle of the highway.

He turned to her, their eyes meeting midway across the star-filled sky now lighting up the universe and drowning out the sun.

“W-What are you talking about, Aerith?” His voice came out thick. His eyes had darkened to a shade of cool blue.

Her hands remained around his waist. She didn’t dare let go of him yet; didn’t want to.

“You…” Her heart caught in her throat, and it took Cloud everything not to push her hair out of her face to set the stray strands back in place. A smile gently curved her lips, “I thought you should know. That you’ve made me more happy than you know, Cloud, and I’ll always—"

“Aerith,” he stopped her with a voice several notches lower. The storminess in his blue eyes had dimmed in confusion and uneasiness, “Where is all this coming from?”

He did not want to hear any more of her strange sentences. For some inexplicable reason, those words uttered from her mouth had scared him beyond any rational reason he could comprehend. And he didn’t know why. It was as if hearing her go on would split him, and his heart, into two.

The fragrance of her body pressing firmer into his skin undid his defenses entirely. He shuddered, thinking how unbearably cold and bereft his world would intolerably be without her.

 _What the hell has happened to me?_ How ironic that a long time ago, that aloof, stoic part of him would have never even given another human another damn in his life. 

God, how he had changed. And now he was stopping Fenrir in the middle of a highway trying to converse with a flower girl.

Didn’t help she was holding him like he held all the constellations in her night together.

“Sorry,” she shook her head, a rueful smile on her face, “I didn’t mean to bum you out.” 

“Care to explain?” He pressed, concern clouding his eyes. He was not moving Fenrir until she did.

“No, no, I just…” She sat up straighter. He noted with relief that her arms hadn’t yet released his waist. “I just never thought I could be this happy in my life…until…Well, _you_.”

His stunned silence met with her words.

Was it true? Everything she said? That a dull, laconic, broody prick like him had actually managed to bring this incomprehensible emotion called ‘happiness’ into someone else’s life? Cloud wouldn’t, couldn’t believe it.

But from the way her eyes shone at him like he was _her_ knight in shiny armour, her prince charming – hers, and hers alone, he knew she wasn’t lying.

Cloud hadn’t known another time when his heart had felt fuller than the moon that shone in the night sky, but when Aerith had leant into him and wrapped her soft arms against the strength of his waist, he knew it now – with her, _anything_ was possible. She was magic, personified.

His lungs felt ready to explode, together with the burst of emotions she had sealed into his chest.

Fighting his crumbling demeanour, he tried his best to frown at her. “Don’t talk like that again, Aerith.”

“Like what?”

“Like…Like you’re leaving.” _Like you’re leaving me. Or going away. From my life. And then I’ll go back to being that miserable twat from that time before I met you._

But a noose had hung around his neck and so he kept his mouth shut.

Her cheeks brushed against his shoulder. Her fingers curled tighter around his waist. “Okay, Cloud.”

“Good,” he murmured, hands gripping the bike handles, revving the engine to life, “now sit tight, and stay close.”

_Just…stay close to me, Aerith._

And when he had sensed her smiling and nestling even closer to his back like the lightest butterfly attaching itself to a petal, Cloud had felt his universe coming together all at once under the moon – complete, whole and alive. 

* * *

Fenrir slowed to a stop.

Before them a majestic architecture stood in its glory, the reigning structures so incredibly exotic to inspire awe on Aerith’s face as she stared at it in wonder. The most ostentatiously detailed pillars painted in brilliant gold stood impressive under the black sky, its contemporary glass panelled entrance welcoming guests onto its ornate marbled floor.

“This,” Aerith shot Cloud a most disbelieving look, “this is the place?”

“Yep,” Cloud nodded, “Welcome to Zanarkand Grand Hotel.”

“It’s beautiful,” she exhaled, her eyes combing the venue that had to be a symbol of status for all its visiting guests. Suddenly feeling self-conscious and inadequate in front of such a daunting place, an unsettled look crossed her face.

She gave Cloud’s shoulders a light squeeze, dishearten showing in her eyes, “I…I don’t know if I can do this.”

His eyes softened, desperately wanting to do anything to quell that dispirit in her. Cloud was a hundred percent confident she would outshine everyone else tonight – how could she not, dressed in a stunning lavender lace tiered gown and her hair all glamorously done up with matching purple ribbons that interweaved and flowed down the length of her hair? If this vision wasn’t enough to take the media’s breath away, then Cloud didn’t know what else would. For him, she had stolen all the air inside his lungs when she had stepped out tonight looking like _this._

“You’ll be fine, Aerith,” he reassured her, heart aching at her sight. He knew she was doing all of this, _for him._

She nodded with a small laugh, admitting shyly, “Oh, Cloud, this is absolutely different from playing my violin in front of a crowd.”

“I know.” He could sense her nervousness from the way her exquisite fingertips had pressed into the back of his shoulders. His eyes searched hers steadily, “But I’m here, right?”

She broke into a smile – one that reflected the silvery starshine from above. “Yep, lucky for me again, you’ll make this easier.”

He hopped off Fenrir and extended a chivalrous arm to her. His eyes mirrored the glimmer in her brilliant eyes. “Ready?”

She nodded brightly, taking his hand for support as she climbed down Fenrir. “As ever, prince charming.”

_Prince charming. Hers._

The words shook somewhere deep in his core.

Aerith didn’t think anything else after the sight of the grand hotel could take her breath away, but the way Cloud looked so handsome tonight with his collared smart shirt, black trousers and smart shoes riding on a steel vehicle had caused an ache to bloom in her heart. Especially now, with moonlight gravitating towards the arch of his jaw, hinting at the tiniest trace of smile he wore on his features.

His eyes suddenly flickered. “My coat and tie,” he reminded himself aloud, unlocking the back of his bike compartment above the combustion engine.

“Got to look your best tonight, right, MVP?” Her smile lit up like a thousand jewelled stars.

Cloud busied himself putting his tux jacket on, and before he had anticipated the curveball coming his way, Aerith had gently gone and taken the tie out of his hands.

In the moonlight, she thought he looked truly magnificent. Boyish, and very handsome, for sure. The tux and full suit did him more than enough justice, fitting his sculpted, athletic body like second glove. Aerith’s heart did a little flip, and she had acted before she could think.

“Here,” her voice came out a murmur as she tip-toed towards him, narrowing the distance.

His eyes widened in a startle. Goosebumps had risen all over his skin.

_Wha-wha—_

She swung the tie around his neck, proceeding to loop the long fabric carefully and methodically, as if she had done it a million times before for him.

Cloud blinked, his lips parting slightly with the attack of the same symptoms hitting him all at once – buckling knees, incoherent thoughts, dry throat unable to string words together. And so he was rendered to staring mutely at Aerith with every part of his senses fully alert, and his skin unavoidably tingling at her touch intoxicating him everywhere.

The intimate gesture – her tying his neck-tie for him, sent every atom of his body quavering – from the pinnacle of his head to the underside of his toes. Cloud studied her features illuminated under the moonlight as her eyes concentrated with an impossible softness fiddling with the tie in her hands. Her fingers occasionally grazing his bare skin sent his thoughts skittering into flight.

In the quiet of the night, he hoped she hadn’t heard his thumping heart against the delicateness of her fingertips manoeuvring their way around his neck. Impossible, when his heartbeat was drumming so loud.

“There,” she patted his neck, her eyes shining like the colour of the brightest forest, “Much better, Cloud.”

He couldn’t speak. His throat swelled and wouldn’t allow the words to escape.

He was hyper aware of her lips dancing into a smile – the most brilliant shade of a pastel-pink sunset. If he wasn’t careful, the moonlight tumbling onto her cheeks would bring him down to his knees any instant.

Her innocent eyes, her impish smile – they were his undoing. His eyes settled eventually on her lips as she licked them in concentration trying to tuck his tie beneath his suit jacket.

 _What…_ _What is this sorcery she’s doing to me?_ He thought helplessly.

All he saw were the lights against her lips incandescent in the starlight.

This desire, this yearning to be closer, _much, much_ closer to her, was destroying every ounce of discipline and self-control in him.

The universe was conspiring against him, Cloud was sure.

“Good?” She looked up with an accomplished smile at having finished what she had set out to do. Cloud now stood looking extraordinarily suave, and completely suited up to attend a gala.

He observed the sweet paradise of the way her lips had moved, mesmerizing him to the spot.

He could only nod, not trusting himself to speak just yet.

_So close, so close._

Her lips reflected the galaxy’s edge, and Cloud badly wanted to know if it was true.

He took a step towards her, drawn helplessly like a dove to the sky.

“Aerith,” his voice came out hoarse, and she was looking at him like he held all her world together. Nobody had ever looked at him this way.

His arms ached to reach out to hers. “Aerith, I—”

A skidding sound from nowhere startled them out of their magic.

“Hey!!! Get a room, you two lovebirds!!” A voice yelled out playfully.

A car approached, pulling up next to them on the road. Cloud didn’t need to squint further to spot the familiar flash of redhead protruding out of the car windows with a broad grin spread across the man’s face.

It was Reno, laughing away as a sheepish Rude sat beside him, casting Cloud a regrettable look apologizing on his friend’s behalf. 

Cloud couldn’t hide a tinge of annoyance crossing his face. _Shit._ The Turks.

Fuckin’ opportune time now.

Tseng in the driver’s seat had winded down his window. Beside the vice-Captain, Elena flashed Cloud a gleeful thumbs-up, which the latter purposefully ignored.

“Hey, Cloud, we’ll see you inside, eh? I see you brought a date,” Tseng remarked, putting as little emotion in his voice as he could, but he was alternating his glances between Cloud and his plus one with a growing smirk on his face.

The couple by Fenrir looked every bit flustered with their cheeks turner redder by the second, as if they hadn’t anticipated being caught in a most intimate moment together.

By the Turks, of all people.

“Hn, I see you did, too,” Cloud retorted at his vice-Captain, trying to re-assert his cool bravado in front of his teammates.

Slightly startled at their star player’s blunt yet very accurate observation, Tseng and Elena had exchanged glances and hastily looked away from each other. Cloud hadn’t missed that slightly embarrassed look on his vice-Captain’s face, and subtly allowed a triumphant smirk onto his face.

It wasn’t everyday he got to fluff the feathers of his stoic vice-Captain, after all.

“Whatever,” Tseng rolled his eyes and slid the windows back up, choosing to ignore his star player, “see you inside.” He restarted the car engine and drove the car carrying the Turks away into the distance.

Cloud narrowed his eyes, resisting the urge to flip a finger at the car especially when Reno in the passenger seat had purposefully turned behind to look Cloud through the back windscreen and winked knowingly at him. The redhead had the cheek to even flash a mischievous thumbs-up at the star player.

Damn Reno. Cloud couldn’t wait to give what the redhead deserved the next time they faced off for a game in the spherical pool.

The spikey-haired man embarrassingly turned back to Aerith, unable to hide the colours still evidently etched on his face. “Sorry about them.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I do like them, and they seem to care for you a tremendous lot,” she smiled.

Cloud winced inwardly. _Too much, sometimes._

“Shall we?” She called out in a sing-song voice, her eyes drawing him in with their infinite tenderness.

He nodded. At the sight of her looking utterly ravishing, it had sent a jolt to his guts reminding him a few seconds ago of the almost painfully regrettable action he had nearly committed, to his chagrin.

He fought back a grimace.

_Self-control, Strife. Whatever happened to your steel will?_

He tightened his fists by his sides. How the fuck he was to resist the spell of one Aerith Gainsborough for the rest of the night was beyond him. And the night had barely begun.

“Let’s,” he muttered at last, and strode forward in a last bid to build a careful distance between him and her. If he wasn’t careful, she was going to bewitch him again and he would never be able to escape her brand of sorcery.

He stopped midway in the ascension of the hotel’s steps, sensing that Aerith hadn’t moved a bit.

Turning around, Cloud cast her a curious look. Emerald green eyes were shrouded with uncertainty and nervousness as Aerith stared at the intimidating venue before her.

“I…I,” she shook her head. She was nervous, he could tell. Cloud sighed in frustration, directing the emotion at himself.

He, was a first-class idiot, for having left her there all alone.

_And she calls you her prince charming. You fuckin’ idiot, Strife._

His feet had moved before he could think. He made his way towards her, and before she could admit to her jitters, his hand had steadily, but gently, encircled around the circle of her wrist.

He held her, and when he was sure she wasn’t going to let go, had pulled her closer.

“Stay close.” He didn’t let go of her hand. “You’ll be fine.”

“Do I look okay?” She asked worriedly, looking thoroughly unsure.

He took in the ravishing sight of her and his insides squirmed.

Did _she_ look okay? If she looked anymore captivating, he would have lost his brains by now. Oh wait, he already had.

_Tell her she looks beautiful. Tell her, Strife!_

But his guts betrayed him, and he lamely said, “You look fine.”

Fuck, fuck. That didn’t go accordingly to plan. So much for manning up.

_You, Cloud Strife, have no fuckin’ balls._

“Ok,” she smiled then, even with his mediocre choice of words, “If you say so.”

“Yep,” he answered her, and then firmly, gently, all at once, he had tugged against her hand and led her up towards the steps, not missing the way her fingers had relaxed and curved around his, at last.

Just like that, he had similarly drawn her into his heart.

She was doing all of this, being all nervous and awkward…for him.

His heart swelled to the fullness of the moon above.

_Just…stay close, Aerith._

**TBC**

* * *

YASSSS I hoped you enjoyed the Clerith neck-tie scene. One reason why we wanna see CxA dressed up to the nines LOL. (Also a blatant excuse for Cloud-san to wear a dapper suit ^^)

Anyone else recognised the FFVII-R dream sequence lines in here? ; )

I KNOW ACK, we’re all waiting for Aerith to wear ‘that’ famous Red dress. But I’ve decided to save that for next time ( “ REALLY, MYST-SAN!? AGAIN!?” ). I thought lilac/lavender would look gorgeous and unique on Aerith, and I fell in love with this Elie Sabb’s gown when Mila Kunis wore it to the Oscars. The fashionista squealing in me knew Aerith HAD to wear this: <https://www.redcarpet-fashionawards.com/2011/02/27/mila-kunis-in-elie-saab-couture-2011-oscars/> 😊

Review/comment, you know you wanna tell me how much the sap in this chapter made you grow cavities LOL

Myst-san


	14. waltz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “A waltz,” she pointed out.  
> No shit it’s a waltz, he thought, panic beginning to rise in his chest.  
> “I-I can’t waltz.”  
> She had already taken both of his arms to rest around her waist, her touch causing him to jump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: 
> 
> insert obligatory Clerith dance scene here. We just GOT to get Cloud dancing in every life of his lived, eh? XD 
> 
> erm yes, there will be some FFX characters cross-over here. I won’t spoil you too much ^^
> 
> insert usual no beta-read disclaimer (refer to chapter 11 a/n) 
> 
> myst-san

**\--x chapter 14: waltz**

The first thing Aerith noticed were the golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of the grand ballroom.

It was only when she took in the overwhelming sight of the crowds that she realized how out of place she felt in this gorgeous venue. She had to pinch herself – checking this wasn’t just a dream, but happening all in real time. Surely this was not just a fairytale she found herself in walking beside her handsome spikey-haired prince charming and herself wearing a gorgeous lavender lace gown as they entered the grand ballroom? The only thing missing were her glass slippers and fairy godmother, that was all.

But as the curve of her fingers hooked tentatively around Cloud’s forearm (he had awhile ago insisted on the chivalrous gesture before they entered the palace-like venue), Aerith decided she needed no magic wand nor spells tonight to confirm this was all real.

She _was_ at a ball, attending a social gala with sports celebrities of the highest order.

The stair rails of the ballroom were ornate mahogany, carved and polished so that it shone a brilliant gold. Every furniture, every wall portrait hung around the walls were crafted masterfully, and the fragrance in the air hinted of fresh roses – something Aerith noted with delight. There were cocktail standing tables scattered all across the huge expanse of marbled floor, and in the backdrop, the latest acoustic hits on pop radio looped through the stereo system. 

She must have held her breath for a tad longer than she liked, for beside her, Cloud had noticed, quirking an eyebrow her way. “You okay?”

He looked accustomed to high-flying events like this. Was it a norm for sports celebrities to attend social events like this one as part of their lifestyle? Cloud looked immensely at ease in the room. There was no way he seemed to have felt any of the nervousness she was experiencing.

Aerith called on her own strength to prep herself up with a confidence boost tonight, throwing on her brightest smile. “Perfect.”

She thanked the stars that she still had her arm around his, lest she would surely faint from the exhilaration of the night. And she had barely been in the ballroom for more than five minutes! Aerith halted with a start as a dizzying flash of lights momentarily blinded her. Her palms flew instinctively to her face, causing her to almost stumble on her feet in surprise had Cloud not caught her and steadied her in time.

Around them, the paparazzi had gathered, swarming around her and Cloud. Aerith didn’t think she could ever get used to the manic amount of camera lights in her face and the lurking, frenetic reporters trying to get a photo of her.

“Don’t mind them,” Cloud spoke in a low voice by her side, his strength reassuring to her ears in the craziness of tonight, “Just paparazzi.”

“Tell me I don’t at least have my hair or dress out of place,” Aerith replied as light-heartedly as she could, trying her best to ignore the cacophony of camera shutter sounds and the reporters chattering around her incessantly. Cloud was leading her through the boisterous crowds, determined not to let Aerith be fed to the media sharks on her own. 

One feet behind him, Aerith observed the spikey-haired athlete with a hint of awe and wonder in her eyes. He had to be used to all this fame, she thought, standing back as Cloud gruffly dismissed any questions fielded his way and waved off all forms of interrogations. He accepted no interviews, and if anyone dared invade his or Aerith’s personal space, all he had to do was shoot them a death glare promising murder, and everyone would step back in line.

“You’re used to this,” Aerith told him in a hushed tone.

He nodded, “The price to pay for playing Blitzball.”

“Doesn’t it get a bit crazy?” She asked empathetically. She couldn’t imagine how her life would be constantly living under scrutiny in the public sphere.

“All the time,” he replied without a second thought, and led her past the entrance leading into the ballroom. Here inside, the media were denied further access to mingle and interact with the athletes, allowing Cloud to relax slightly now that Aerith was out of those pesky reporters’ reach.

They arrived at a tall cocktail table where the rest of the Turks had gathered to stand around with alcohol in hand. Aerith spotted the same faces she had met at the Seventh Bar before, and relief flooded into her. At least here were some familiar people she recognised. A cheerful smile spread on her face as the Turks turned to her and Cloud, acknowledging them. Aerith had known only them for a night, but she had learnt enough of their individual, unique characters to take a genuine liking to every one of them – Rufus, Tseng, Elena, Rude, Reno.

Curious about the new face she hadn’t remembered from Seventh Heaven, Aerith noted with awe that the gorgeous, glamorously dressed woman beside Rufus had to be his enigmatic wife. By Gaia, but Rufus’ wife wore such a bold, beautiful black gown shimmering in all the right places that only added to the intensity and brilliance of her beauty.

“Rufus’ wife,” Aerith whispered into Cloud’s ears, “She’s beautiful.”

“Half of the Raiders’ men has got the hots for Rufus’ wife, but don’t tell him that,” Cloud replied with a trace of a smirk. 

Aerith’s eyes crinkled, “You, too?”

Cloud frowned, “No way.”

She nudged him in the ribs. Despite her initial nervousness for tonight, her characteristic playfulness had returned, Cloud noticed with relief. He had honestly not meant for this gala to faze her in such a way that discomforted her – and then that would totally be his fault to bear. 

Aerith leant closer to his ear, causing the hairs on his arms to stand. “So what’s your type of woman then?”

He flushed hotly, reflexively avoiding her gaze, “I…I don’t know.”

She giggled, and when he caught the way her laughter spilled out of her lips so easily, he had thought wildly to himself. _Although if I were to choose…she’d most probably be someone like you._

Then he nearly gaped at himself, horrified. Now _where_ did that damnable thought in his head come from?

He quickly distracted himself with the necessary exchange of greetings with his Turks mates. Cloud shot Reno a dirty look – he still hadn’t forgiven that redhead for that disruptive shout from the car earlier. And Reno had the cheek to look very proud of himself, flashing a toothy grin and pumping a fist into Cloud’s shoulder with a ‘hey, Spike! Good to see you!’ greeting. That friggin’ idiot.

As their table engaged in small talk, Cloud was bemused to see that Aerith and Elena had struck up a conversation, and they looked deeply engrossed in whatever they were discussing. Probably gossiping about some topic or whatever woman tended to talk about. Beside him, Tseng had noticed as well.

“Bet Elena must miss having another girl to chat with who ain’t the Turks men around her,” Tseng let slip an equally amused smirk.

Cloud nodded, his eyes never leaving Aerith. What was with this bewitching lady and her inherent ability to chatter and infect everyone around her to reciprocate in conversation, drawing every human into her convivial energy without fail?

He had not much longer to wonder when Reeve had joined them at their table with his wife. All around the ballroom, the crowds were teeming in numbers, and Cloud spotted familiar faces he hadn’t seen in years – old legends from the previous Blitzball generation that had pioneered the sport, famous retired Blitzball players across teams that had garnered a renowned reputation, notable celebrities from other industries well-known for endorsing the sport out of charity or a personal vested interest – all gathered in the ballroom waiting for the night to officially begin.

Cloud never was one fond of big events, but a part of him couldn’t help but feel exhilarated tonight, unable to contain the excitement surging through his chest as he thought of receiving his MVP title. And why the hell not? He had grown up watching the old legends play Blitzball on television, and memories of a young, teenage him idolizing and looking up to those star players now came flooding back. He recognized the same legendary sports heroes who had been his role model in the waters – Jecht, and Wakka – standing a few yards away in the ballroom, and the child in Cloud was skipping around in boyish excitement. Imagine – collecting his MVP award in front of these crazy legends. Now, _that_ would be something.

Not once growing up had he ever imagined he would one day be standing in the same room as them, but now here he was. He…he had made it this far.

Cloud felt a squeeze at his forearm and looked down into Aerith’s earnest eyes.

“You’re excited,” she observed aloud, her face breaking into a soft smile.

He nodded, not bothering to deny it. “Yep.” Aerith read him through and through like an open book, anyway. He might as well be blunt and honest.

And before Cloud knew what monster had jumped into his body to possess him to speak and ramble on like a ten-year-old boy obsessed with Blitzball all over again, he had told Aerith all about his sporting idols Jecht and Wakka, pointing them out in the room to her curious eyes, babbling on about their stats and achievements and how much they had inspired him in his sporting career.

At the end of his rant, he had stopped himself when he realized he had talked too much. The colours rose to his cheeks. “Uh, s’cuse me.”

_Fuck, why am I talking so much tonight?_

But Aerith had squeezed his hand encouragingly, and all thoughts fled from his brains. 

“Then I’m glad we came tonight, Cloud,” she told him earnestly.

He nodded. It was true. Cloud couldn’t imagine otherwise – if he had skipped tonight succumbing to his dateless fate, then ending up having to miss receiving his MVP award and the chance to bump into his sporting idols up close and personal. Surely, he would have definitely crawled into bed with more than a few regrets.

He looked at Aerith, gratitude surfacing to his eyes. “Thanks, Aerith.” He meant it.

_Thank you for convincing me to come…and not alone._

Her only response was a stellar smile sent his way, and he was melting – head to toe, for her.

A clinking sound of metal spoon against wine glass reverberated across the ballroom, and the crowds gathered around looked to the emcee on the stage who had introduced himself and was kicking off the start of gala night.

Aerith watched, thoroughly amazed, as Blitzball players from all over Gaia headed up the stage for their respective awards. The atmosphere in the room gradually heated up for the most coveted moment that belonged to the one and only star player next to her.

“And this year’s most valuable player of the Tournament goes to…Cloud Strife of the Zanarkand Raiders!” The emcee boomed into the mic with increasing crescendo for effect.

Aerith patted Cloud on the back, cheering him on with a light push on his shoulder to urge him forward onto the stage. “Go, go!” She was beaming from cheek to cheek, and something akin to pride and joy had rose like intertwining doves in her when she noted Cloud’s suddenly nervous look. Yet in all the times she had known him, it wasn’t hard to tell that despite his best efforts to conceal the emotions on his face, his eyes were charged with invigorating joy and well-masked excitement as he approached the stage as casually as he could.

That prickly pear – always trying to look all thorny and unflappable. But Aerith could see the child in him now running inwardly around in hysterical excitement at having achieved this career milestone, and she clapped furiously for Cloud as he accepted the prestigious award from the hands of the retired famous sports star, Jecht. There was an undeniable star-struck look on Cloud’s face that he futilely fought down, and Aerith giggled when she spotted his struggle to maintain his exhilaration beneath a cool demeanour. She knew how painstakingly hard Cloud had worked; how much effort he had put in to get to where he was today.

The applause he received was thunderous. His Raiders teammates gathered around cocktail tables held their wine glasses up in a mutual show of celebratory cheer. Even Reeve had flashed his star player a thumbs-up, the look of triumph and pride on the coach’s face a testament to how much he had invested in this young man and how he hadn’t been wrong about his judgement. Cloud had only a second on stage to raise the medal around his neck with a purposeful look directed at his coach, meant as a short but firm thank-you for all that Reeve had done for him in his career.

As Cloud settled back in his spot beside Aerith, he chugged down a glass of fizzy soda in hopes of making his nerves evaporate all at once. That…had been unnerving to say the least. And shaking hands with Jecht!? Cloud had nearly lost it in a star-struck moment. He had felt like a ten-year-old boy all over again hogging the television to watch the sporting legend play Blitzball.

“You did brilliant, Cloud,” Aerith whispered into his ear. Goosebumps returned to his skin. Whether from the elation of the night, or the effect of his plus-one, he couldn’t tell. Maybe both.

As the emcee finished up the awards ceremony with the crowning of the Zanarkand Raiders champions and presenting Reeve with the golden trophy much to the raucous cheers and hoots from his team, Aerith snuck a glance sideway to scrunitise Cloud’s face.

She had never seen him look so… _happy._

Her eyes softened to the colour of misty green. That man exhibited more emotions than he assumed he did, and she could see how attached he had become to his second home here with the Raiders.

With the conclusion of the awards ceremony, the stereo system now pumped out the latest electronic dance hits credit to the DJ who had taken over the sound desks on stage. The atmosphere in the venue drastically changed, altering to one charged with adrenaline as the lights around dimmed. On cue, the cocktail tables were cleared away and the crowds took to the dance floor to liven up the after-party.

Aerith’s eyes suddenly lit up. Sparkles danced in her eyes. A dance party? That, she could never resist. “You didn’t mention anything about _this_ part, Cloud.”

“Nope,” he deadpanned flatly, “this is the part I usually go home.”

“Not a chance,” she stuck out her tongue, “Sure you don’t want to dance?”

 _I’m a hundred percent sure._ Cloud stood his ground. No bloody way wild horses could carry him to the dance floor. Blitzball, he could do. Carrying stuff plushies around a park, he could do. Dancing with an amber-haired lady who looked too ravishing for the night, he couldn’t trust himself.

Still, there was no helping the warm colours suffusing to his cheeks, staying there as he watched an exuberant Aerith take a very willing Elena by the hand to hit the dance floor together. Apparently, Elena had made no secret that Tseng had been a bore the entire night, and had been most agreeable to partner Aerith on the dance floor when the latter had offered.

Tseng shot Cloud a sardonic look across their cocktail table. Cloud shrugged in response.

“Women,” they said at the same time. Both couldn’t resist a low chuckle. Beside them, Reno proceeded to haul Rude across with him to another cocktail table where a lady had caught his fancy. The redhead had adamantly insisted Rude act as his wingman.

Cloud rolled his eyes. Typical Reno, poor Rude. Out of the corner of his eyes, he was slightly surprised to see Rufus’ wife leading his Captain to the dance floor. Damn, now Cloud was convinced women were powerful creatures with the ability to wrap their male partners round by their fingers. Even he himself wasn’t spared.

 _That’s the exact same thing that happens to me, all the damn time._ Cloud thought wryly, his eyes affixed on one person.

It was happening. Again.

A whole room full of people, and he couldn’t keep his eyes off _her_.

Aerith looked like she was having the time of her life with Elena. They were jiving to the music, letting loose, and Cloud watched intently as her hair came loose from her glamorously pinned-up waves, the lilac ribbons in her hair messily interweaving between haphazard tumbles of amber locks to create a most gorgeous contrast of colours.

She was twirling Elena around the hands, and they were laughing carefreely into the night of fluorescent party lights.

Cloud stood, transfixed, the MVP medal in his tux pocket forgotten. Hell, he had even forgotten his name.

How could anyone be this...attractive? This enthralling? This _sensual?_

At the last adjective conjured inexplicably in his head, Cloud shuddered. He could _not,_ would _not,_ think about Aerith that way.

His insides churned. But she was. Every minute detail of her from the lilac ribbons in her hair down to the ends of her lavender gown. She was.

Her sensuality and effervescence burst through into the most vibrant picture of her dancing soul as she moved to the music filling the ballroom. The room spun with a heady spell, and Cloud swore it had to be the effect of the fizzy soda he downed earlier. Surely someone must have spiked his beverage with alcohol.

That…that must be why he couldn’t take his eyes off, he surmised with a sense of dread.

As Aerith giddily twirled Elena around her with excitement, Cloud was fully certain he had heard Tseng beside him draw a sharp intake of breath as well.

What Elena was doing to him had to be similar to what Aerith was to him.

Women were such sly, cunning creatures. Damn them and their magic.

So that left him and Tseng to look stupidly like two static trees planted to the ground at the cocktail table.

Not that Cloud could care. His eyes were still fixated on that amber halo of haphazard hair, that flash of lavender that sashayed across marbled floor… and then when he hadn’t seen it coming, Aerith had turned her eyes and caught him staring as he stood there. He was _not_ adept at all in hiding the startled look on his face. Cloud hastily dropped his gaze, before returning it to glance at her in a not-so-subtle manner.

She offered him a bright smile, accompanied by a wave.

His insides sang. Did a little leap.

Shit. He was turning into goo, for her.

And then barely recovering from the headiness of the fizzy soda he must have had earlier, he saw her spin into vision, the distracting neon lights illuminating her like an approaching lavender butterfly. She was breathless from all that dancing when she reached his side.

“Heya, Cloud.”

His voice trapped in his throat. He managed only a throaty, “Hey.”

Beside him, he had the vague notion Tseng had disappeared – probably to scoop Elena up in his longing arms at the dance floor.

Cloud swallowed. He badly wanted to do the same to Aerith, but he, again, failed at having enough balls to do so.

So he was left to stare blankly at his plus one with a placid look, not giving away the foreign emotions tugging miserably at his heart.

Her fingers reached out to encircle his wrist, and before he could register what was happening, Aerith was hauling him to the dance floor.

“Aerith, I can’t dance,” he stuttered desperately. His feet were stumbling, helpless to her pull. Yet despite his strength and all his capability to reject her advances, he was letting himself be dragged to the dance floor.

Damn her, and her sorcery.

“Oh, don’t lie to me. Elena mentioned you have some amazing dance moves, especially when drunk in front of the Turks,” she teased mercilessly, dragging him into the heart of the partying crowd. Never mind that Cloud was deliberately putting all his weight on his feet to slow Aerith down. 

Colours rose to his cheeks. Trust Elena to bring up that old memory of him being intoxicated in front of his Turks teammates one night and being cajoled into a dance-off with Rude. That was the least of his proudest moments. _Fuck._

Cloud swallowed, “Aerith, I think we should go home. The awards ceremony is over and—”

She was already taking both of his hands in hers. Something kicked him hard in the core – his nerves were betraying him. Now, of all damn times!

“I think, we should stay here,” her eyes shone with mirth and _too much_ delight for his comfort, “and dance, Cloud.”

He stared mutely at her. _Bad idea. Bad fuckin’ idea. Split now, Cloud. Say something like you’ve got an assignment due tomorrow. Something. Anything!_

And the universe just had to time it right just so the DJ had stopped spinning electronic music through the stereo system, as if on purpose switching the track to some bloody romantic, sprightly waltz.

A, friggin, waltz.

Bloody hell, even the DJ was mocking his helpless state.

Cloud wanted to bury a hole under where he stood. Yep, he was going to melt into mush here in front of Aerith, and no one could save him. He didn’t even know where his Turks teammates were in the shadows of the partying night – they were probably all romancing the love of their lives, while he was here, stuck with—

He held his breath.

…Stuck with this gorgeous woman looking up at him with stars dancing in her impossibly captivating eyes.

“A waltz,” she pointed out, her emerald eyes traveling to the ceiling as the lights dimmed even further and the chandelier lights shone golden onto her face, accentuating all that was beautiful and animated and mesmerizing in the lines of her features.

He stared, hypnotised. _No shit it’s a waltz,_ he thought, panic beginning to rise in his chest.

“I-I can’t waltz,” he stammered in a last desperate attempt to bail on the dance floor.

His words fell on deaf ears. Aerith had taken his arms, guiding them to rest around her small waist. Her touch caused him to jump.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck._

She gazed into his stunned eyes the colour of vivid seas, and Aerith was lost in them.

“You’ll be fine, Cloud. You’ve got me, remember?” She broke into a grin, and as the music behind them started with a catchy tempo and the crowds around them relaxed into passionate embraces with loved ones in anticipation of the waltz starting, Cloud was hyper aware of her delicate fingers grazing his skin.

Their eyes met, and he forgot breathing. Forgot everything else but the way her tiny waist fit into the curve of his palms like second skin. His limbs froze.

He couldn’t – wouldn’t dance.

“I can’t,” he croaked, his eyes showing panic. Half of him wanted to flee in mortification, the other half told him if she stayed in his arms this way all night, he wouldn’t mind for all of the world freezing around them and for time to be still. “Aerith, I can’t dance.”

“Yes you can,” she reassured him, her arms coming around to rest on his shoulders, “Just follow my lead, ok?”

And then she was whisking him off across the dance floor in the gentlest grace of her arms, murmuring the steps he had to follow as she counted to three in the time meter of the waltz softly into his ears. Cloud stumbled at first, unaccustomed to moving on his feet with anyone so close within his personal space for this extended period of time, much less one that looked as ravishing as Aerith.

But with the mellifluous whispers of encouragement that flowed from her lips and the headiness of the waltz music spinning his senses into an intoxicated state, Cloud found himself relaxing; his tense shoulders dropping. The crowd around them faded away, and there was only him and Aerith, waltzing under the chandelier lights, hand in hand, to a clock that didn’t exist tonight. 

“You’re doing great, Cloud,” she breathlessly pointed out.

Shivers quavered down the nape of his neck where her lips had murmured the words into. In the haziness of his thoughts, he only remembered managing an unintelligent “I guess”. When she had drawn closer into his arms as if to seek warmth from the chill passing by them in the night, he had closed his eyes in a bid to savour this moment, not wanting to pull away.

Was this what peace felt like? Odd, with all the chaos existing in his heart that he now felt his entire world coming together with her waltzing in his arms.

Cloud inwardly blamed it on the fizzy soda in his system acting as liquid adrenaline coursing through his veins. His feet eventually found the rhythm to the music; found her steps, and without thinking twice, had effortlessly matched her every turn, every move, relying on the sway of their aligned heartbeats to guide them through the dance.

He was suddenly waltzing across the night with her like they had done it a million times. With their roles reversing, she had trusted him to take the lead, all the while smiling with pride to her best pupil as he steered her across the fog of fluorescent lights. Aerith had never once doubted Cloud would be a quick learner. 

Her fingers remained snug on his waist. Cloud attributed the heat clamouring at his collar to his possibly spiked soda for causing every single shot of blood in his body to grow hot and tingle. He could feel the woman in his arms shiver slightly.

“Are you cold?” He asked, concern clouding his eyes. He pulled her instinctively closer, and she responded by shuffling her feet forward, moving into his arms until he was sure they were but inches apart.

“A bit,” she murmured, and then as if driven by brash impulse, or perhaps the dizzying atmosphere of the night obliterating all logic and reason, she had narrowed the distance between them, nestling her head into his neck. 

He froze, every joint and bone in his body being electrified on the spot.

“Just…a while, Cloud,” she whispered, cheek resting against his shoulder. Her fingers curled tentatively around the lapels of his tux, fearing he might leave in the aftermath of her senseless act. “Just for a while.”

His gaze softened at the girl in his arms.

The world around them vanished.

They had stopped waltzing by now – had they even realized? Cloud didn’t care, really.

_It’s the fizzy soda. It’s the damn alcohol spiked into it._

Unthinkably, he drew her closer, fastening his arms around her slender waist.

She was so tiny, so delicate, he feared hurting her.

Aerith closed her eyes, breathing in his scent, not daring to look up from her head placed gently on his shoulder, lest if she did, he would fade away into thin air.

_Just a little while more, Cloud. Stay._

His muscles turned taut under her touch, unbearably masculine and strong. A second passed, two. Braver, bolder, his arms came around her, skimming across the waist of her lilac gown to encase her fully into his embrace. An inaudible sigh fluttered from her lips. 

_If this is a dream where I’m in this castle and he’s my prince charming and I’m dancing in this ballroom… please don’t let it be midnight, please don’t wake me up._

When they were this close, she could hear his beating heart against hers – was it hammering the way hers was? She doubted it, but as long as he didn’t pull away, she would cherish every second.

The music around them faded away, and time mattered little.

Cloud watched the chandelier lights play with the tresses of her hair and resisted the urge to run his fingers through them. When her hair hung loose like that, his heart be damned – she was such a vision, it hurt him everywhere. And he didn’t dare move himself, afraid that if he had let her go from the circle of his arms, she would disappear as effortlessly as she had collided into his universe. 

He held her, and they stayed like this for a long time, without a care in the world. Her exacting breath, whenever they touched or sighed into the lapels of his tux, hypnotized him further into a helpless trance. He was consumed by her fragrance, her vision, her silken skin as her body pressed close to his, searing her touch everywhere into his soul.

“Your tie,” she noted with tenderness in her eyes, her fingertips making the adjustments around his collar, “it’s come undone.” She was fixing it for him.

The nearness of her fingers drove him to the teetering brink of insanity.

He caught her hand, impulsively.

_It’s the fizzy soda. It’s the damned drink._

“Aerith,” he managed a stutter.

“Hmm?” She was looking him like he was her knight in shining armour.

Their eyes touched, and he knew right then that she must have been heaven sent.

Somewhere in the backdrop, the waltz music slowed to a stop, and the ballroom clock struck midnight.

A blooming had started in his chest – a burning ache – and Cloud dreaded to realize how impossibly close they were standing now in each other’s arms, but it was no longer enough.

_So damn close,_

And he still craved, inexplicably, for more, more, _more._

**TBC**

* * *

a/n:

sniggers I’m so gonna leave Cloud-san there standing under an invisible mistletoe for now with Aerith. Gotta make the man suffer for what it’s worth LOL.

I hoped you enjoyed the Clerith waltz scene! I’ll never believe Cloud not having a talent for dancing (have you guys seen the way he danced his butt off in Remake!? Jeez, Cloud.)

Ahh yes I thought it incredibly apt for Rufus to have this enigmatic, beautiful wife who can tame the tempest that he is AHH. I’ve purposely left her nameless to avoid OC clichés in AUs. And don’t mind me throwing in a little bit of Wakka/Jecht as a tribute to all the Blitzball mentions in my fic. Heck, I adore the other FF series, too. 

Comment/review – you know you wanna tell me how much Clerith sap this entire chapter oozed. XD

Myst-san


	15. catalyst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And I’d like to think I’d still find you, Cloud… I want to meet you.”  
> Then she did something impulsive, something she could never afterward explain.  
> She covered his hand with hers, and his universe collided into a milky way of stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: 
> 
> introducing another OG character here – Scarlet!  
> Character warning: I’m aware Scarlet is older in OG/R but  for the purposes of my fic I shall place Scarlet about the same age as Clerith.  I know I promised to try and keep the xters as faithful to the original as possible ackkk ( Runs away from flames about threading down the path of AU clichés HALPP ) 
> 
> On a side note, insert obligatory “I want to meet you, Cloud” moment here. Clerith shippers since OG would remember these lines *sobs
> 
> Poetry lines featured are credited in my ending a/n. 
> 
> Apply standard **no beta-read-because-no-time disclaimer.**
> 
> Myst-san

**\--x chapter 15: catalyst**

Body to body, skin against skin. The chandelier light warming her face.

Cloud could live up to a hundred and never get used to this memory embossed into his skin.

Her fingertips were quivering, tracing slow circles down the warmth of his back, and he only had the last sense of him to wrap his arms around her wishing she would stop looking at him this way like he was her hero. He was anything, but. Yet somehow the way her eyes had found his mid-way across the dance floor signified the impossible thought fleeting through him –

…that every smile, every whisper from her brought him closer to the impossible conclusion that he had known Aerith before, met her before, held her like this before – in another time, a different place, some other existence – irrevocably, conclusively.

“Cloud?” She murmured into his neck.

“Hn?” He managed just a monosyllable. His nerves were in a chaotic jumble sending shockwaves throughout his body, and his brains could barely comprehend the fact that she was still standing so close to him. He fought the urge to rest his chin atop her silken hair.

He really ought to stop thinking a lot of irresistible things he desired to do to her. Those thoughts _scared the hell_ out of him.

“I don’t know,” she began softly, staring up into his eyes, “I don’t know how you feel so familiar to me – or why it feels less like I’m getting to know you, and more as though I am remembering who you are.”

A heartbeat passed. His mouth fell slightly agape at the conclusion she had arrived at. She was searching his face, her fingers now tracing the contours of his features as if she had done it a million times over; the journey her touch incised against his skin feeling like a moment engraved into his soul from a long ago memory.

 _So it isn’t just me…foolishly thinking I’m the only one thinking we must have met before. Somewhere, sometime. But…how?_ Cloud wondered, a maelstrom of confusion and amazement all at once drowning him.

“Maybe,” her fingers skimmed the flushness of his cheeks, “Maybe in some other lifetime, we were like this, too. Standing side by side, dancing. Do you think?”

He swallowed, the inevitability of her conjecture suddenly growing more and more probable. Would that have explained the dreams he had been having all this time? The image of the familiar amber-haired faceless lady – could it be?

He would never know. All that was certain and permanent now was _her,_ in his arms. And they didn’t need another lifetime, when they had the present.

“Maybe,” he answered hesitantly, unsure himself.

Aerith smiled, “If that’s true, I’d like to think that we were fated to meet again like this, toward the most beautiful collision predestined in this universe.”

_Yep, hurtling through space and time colliding into you, Aerith. Maybe, perhaps. But what a crazy theory, huh?_

“I’d like to think, too,” she was continuing – Gaia, she was rambling on, “that given any other reality or world, I’d still find you, Cloud.”

The silence that passed between them rooted his feet to the ground. He was all too conscious of the restless pounding invading his heart; the feel of his hands resting against her hips.

She lifted a most exquisite finger to trace his jaw. He stared, transfixed. Did he have a say in looking away when she drew him in like this?

“And…And I think I’d still like to meet you, Cloud,” she said, breaking into the tenderest of smile, _“I want to meet you.”_

The world fell apart around them. He saw only her – her soul in all its radiance and pureness, reserved for him.

For a long moment, he stared at her, speechless, and then she did something impulsive, something she could never afterward explain.

She reached out and covered his hand with hers, and his universe collided into a milky way of stars.

A trembling heat passed between them. Cloud’s skin burnt. Her touch, her gentle gesture, the sweetness that emanated from her very soul made his blood roar and come alive, sending a crashing river of conflicting emotions coursing violently through him.

Why was holding her so impossibly close even now creating such a terrible distance between them?

Cloud knew he was going to lose all self-control and do something stupid, something foolish, if he wasn’t careful fighting the overpowering ache taking over his limbs and defenseless heart.

Yet she was staring at his mouth, and he was at hers, too.

“Aerith—” He started, lips trembling.

Then just as quickly, the dust of magic vanished around them.

“Aerith!!! That’s where you are! Oh my god, it’s really you!”

_Fuck…Fuck, fuck, no, no._

In a _very_ unexplainable moment, a familiar petite-sized silhouette with short dark bob hair and fair skin wearing an olive green midi cocktail dress that left nothing to the imagination had materialized in front of the couple from nowhere, nearly scaring the daylights out of them.

Said interrupting culprit instantly made a leap onto Aerith’s back, pouncing on her.

“Oh my god – Yuffie!?” Aerith broke away from Cloud’s arms in a startle, staring wide-eyed at her friend.

The immediate sense of loss the star player felt when she departed from his touch was jarring, and Cloud hadn’t anticipated the pang of despondency hitting him like a harsh stroke of thunder.

_Shit. Why now. Why fucking now._

But perhaps it was for the best for this interruption.

Cloud slipped his hands into his suit pocket, his eyes suddenly finding the dance floor a timely distraction.

…Tonight had gotten them too close. _Much,_ too close.

His heart fluttered. It was best they kept a distance for now before he lost it completely and did something unthinkable. Like staring at those saccharine sweet lips of hers one more time, and his heart and body would probably betray every logical cell in his brain screaming at him to run away while he still stood a chance.

“Yuffie, what are you doing here?” Aerith exclaimed, holding her very obviously intoxicated friend by the shoulders to steady her. How many drinks had the young girl imbibed tonight?

As if the peculiar twist of events tonight wasn’t enough, Cloud spotted a familiar redhead running up to him, scrambling to hide behind Cloud to use him as some sort of deflective body shield. 

“Get that ninja freak away from me!” Reno yelled. It was quite obvious by now who the redhead was hiding from, as Yuffie proceeded to loosen herself from Aerith and looked poised to pounce on the Turk.

“Aerith, tell Reno to stop running away from me!” Yuffie screeched.

Aerith and Cloud exchanged glances, equally lost and confused. Had they missed something transpiring between the oddly behaving pair? 

“Somebody care to explain what the hell is going on?” Cloud demanded at last, his eyebrows knitted tightly in an overt show of annoyance.

He wasn’t sure if he was acting irritated by the blatant intrusion of these two idiots into his personal space, or more so for them having disrupted his moment of serenity with Aerith. One thing the star player was certain – his redhead Turk teammate was going to get some form of hell when they were back in the Blitzball pool soon enough.

“Ask that girl who can’t stop chasing me across the dance floor!” Reno yelled, and in the next second, had bolted away from hiding behind Cloud to running in circles around the startled couple as Yuffie chased him hot on the heels.

Cloud rolled his eyes, a dozen questions running through him. How many drinks had these two idiots downed? And why were they acting like five-year-old kids playing catch in front of him and Aerith? Why was Yuffie even at the gala in the first place?

At which point Reno had successfully dodged out of Yuffie’s clutches and made a beeline for the closest exit. “Heh, see you later, ninja girl!” He stuck out his tongue and made a ‘V’ sign with his fingers for ‘victory’ before disappearing into the massive crowds dancing the night away.

Yuffie huffed, placing her hands on her hips, “I’ll get you, Turkey! Just you wait and see!”

“Yuffie,” Aerith looked at her friend steadily in the face, “Would you kindly tell me why you are here?”

“Oh, hi, Cloud!” Yuffie greeted breezily, as if she had just recognized the spikey-haired blonde man, “You having fun with Aerith tonight?”

“Yuffie!” Aerith sighed exasperatedly.

“Okay, okay,” Yuffie grinned, “My dad invited me to this stupid gala. Family social events stuff. It’s my first year here because I’ve just turned 17 and he says it’s good for my resume in future, whatever my old man means. More like he wants to mould me into the next successor for his CEO position. Dammit, I wish I had a brother who could take my place! Then I’m free to do whatever I want at last.” 

Cloud cocked his eyebrows quizzically, “CEO?”

He looked at Aerith, who shrugged her shoulders, equally clueless.

Yuffie quirked an eyebrow. “Oh, didn’t I tell you, Aerith? My dad’s a CEO.”

“Yes, but you didn’t mention exactly the specifics of it…” Aerith trailed off, realization slowly dawning on her shocked face as the gravity of Yuffie’s family background sank in.

“He’s the chairman of the Gaia Federation of Association Blitzball,” Yuffie pulled a face, dismissing it as though it wasn’t much of a big deal to her. She even sounded like she loathed the idea of coming from a well-established family name. 

“Godo?” Cloud blurted out in disbelief, “You’re Godo Kisaragi’s daughter?”

“Yep!” Yuffie flashed Cloud a thumbs up.

“You’ve never mentioned that to me, Yuf!” Aerith exclaimed, hand covering her mouth in bewilderment.

“Oh, you never asked,” the young girl shrugged nonchalantly. Was it an awfully big deal to inform everyone around you that your father was the biggest stakeholder in the Blitzball world and the president of its governing body? It had never occurred to Yuffie that her father’s work was anything to boast about.

“So why…” The look of confusion remained on Aerith’s face, “So why haven’t you ever gotten any VIP tickets all this time when you’re Godo’s daughter? Your father could have granted you anything you wanted. Especially to meet your crush Reno behind the Sphere anytime.” 

“Oh, you don’t understand my old man. He’s so strict with me, it’s a pain in my butt. The last thing he wants is the media catching wind of him being bias towards his own daughter and giving her free VIP seats in the house,” Yuffie pouted, “Believe me, I’ve spent a good number of years trying to weedle VIP tickets out of my dad, but he’s got all of Blitzball security’s eyes on me.”

That earned a small sympathetic smile from Aerith. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Yep,” Yuffie gestured to the grand setting around them, “And how kind of my old man to decide its high time for his daughter who’s finally turned 17 to inaugurate her into the life of a future Blitzball CEO, believe it or not. I could care less, but honestly, if it’s another chance for me to meet the redhead Turk of my dreams, then why the hell not?”

Aerith took her friend’s hand in hers, beaming, “You look beautiful tonight, Yuffie. You’ll knock everyone’s socks out.”

“Thanks, Aerith!” Yuffie grinned, her breath reeking of alcohol as she turned to Cloud, “Now, if you don’t mind, Spikey-head star player, I’m gonna steal your girl for tonight because she’s gonna be my wing-woman to help me catch all the good-looking boys on the dance floor. Imma try and make Reno jealous!”

Cloud frowned. He wasn’t sure if that sounded like a good idea – the thought of Aerith winging the intoxicated young girl’s side out there amongst the male species on the dance floor irked him more than he liked. But before he could open his mouth to protest, Yuffie had already yanked Aerith to her side.

“But—” his words trailed off when he realized it was pointless to talk the determined young girl out of anything. His frown deepened as he watched a sheepish Aerith throw him an apologetic smile behind her shoulders as Yuffie dragged her away. All that was left was for him to stand dumbly as his plus-one and Yuffie disappeared into the partying night.

Bloody fantastic. Now he was all alone. What was a man without a partner to do on the dance floor?

Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted his possible escape route – a balcony out in the fresh air. Perfect. Just the sort of respite he needed right now from a night that even his twenty-one years of being alive would never have imagined.

He accepted a glass of drink from a waiter and sipped on it gingerly as he made his way outdoors. The collar of his shirt hung like a noose around his neck, constricting the heat around him. Fresh air, he definitely needed fresh air.

Cloud raked a frustrated hand through his hair as he leant against the balcony railings, inhaling the fresh summer air of Zanarkand. His mind was still swirling in the vision of _her,_ of her dancing in his arms, her scent wafting through his nose. It was all too bloody distracting.

He blamed it on that gorgeous dress and lavender colour on Aerith – she had looked more enticing and beautiful tonight, and with her hair tumbling loose around her shoulders when they had danced, she had become everything terrifying to him – not because he feared who she was, but because he now feared what she could do to him…

…and his damn nerves, and stomach, and knees, and mind, and heart.

Cloud took a gulp out of his fizzy soda. He was in deep shit, and he knew it. He had never met another woman who had set his blood afire like this. 

“Hey.” A low voice from behind stirred him from his thoughts.

Cloud turned sideways, nodding in acknowledgement as the silhouette gradually emerged from the shadows to reveal his identity.

It was his Captain. What was Rufus doing here?

“Congratulations,” the reticent Captain held out his glass of red wine, to which Cloud clinked his fizzy soda back in response.

“Thanks, Cap.”

A comfortable silence stretched between them as they indulged in their beverages, both introverted men equally content to keep to their own thoughts until Rufus had broken the air.

“So, I see you brought a date tonight.” There was a flicker of amusement in the Captain’s eyes.

Cloud sighed irritably. Why was everyone saying that to his face? Yes, he had brought a date. But it was also his first year winning MVP and incidentally meeting Aerith, too. Didn’t some things work hand in hand together for Fate to find its way and work things differently the next time?

“No shit.” Cloud hadn’t meant to sound rude, but he was honestly tired of all the same questions he had been fielded with tonight. 

“Just thought I needed to warn you…” There was a sudden foreboding note to his Captain’s voice that Cloud hadn’t anticipated, causing the star player to stare at Rufus curiously.

“Warn me about what?”

Rufus’ eyes had acquired a sombre edge. “About dating in the Blitzball world.”

“What?” A mix of confusion and bewilderment flashed across the star player’s face. He had _not_ seen that coming.

Rufus coughed, straightening his back against the balcony railings, as though heart to heart talk with his teammate was a pain in the neck for him, but a necessary chore as part of his responsibility. “You, and Aerith. The paparazzi has seen you together tonight. Your photos will be all over the media tomorrow. You know that, right?”

Cloud paused, letting his Captain’s words sink in. “Yes, I do.”

_So what?_

He had nothing to hide when it came to him and Aerith. And she had most certainly out-done every other woman in the gala tonight with her beauty. Both inside, and out.

“You’re new to this, I can tell,” Rufus pointed out, enunciating his words slowly; carefully. Cloud frowned, certain his Captain was beating around the bush. 

“I’m twenty-one, Rufus.” The star player’s forehead creased in annoyance, “I’m not a kid. What exactly are you trying to tell me?”

“It’s your first time making a public debut into the professional Blitzball scene with another girl—"

“So?” Cloud asked irritably.

“You’re not worried about the paparazzi or the fans?” Rufus raised an eyebrow. “Well, you should be.” 

“The fans have no business in my personal life,” Cloud replied curtly.

“True…” Rufus pursed his lips grimly. How to best explain it to his young Blitzball player and prepare him for the darker reality of the sporting world?

The Captain continued patiently, “But you won’t be able to control how they feel. Tomorrow, when the world knows of Aerith’s existence, your female fans especially are going to feel a whole range of emotions natural to them knowing how possessive your fan bases can get.”

“Emotions? What sort of emotions?”

“Offended. Or betrayed. Who knows what they’re capable of, Cloud?”

Cloud contemplated Rufus’ words, fire beginning to stir within the depths of his eyes. He shook his head, “Enlighten me.”

Rufus took another sip at his drink, then peered through the glass at the star player. “Unfortunately, we traded a normal life for Blitzball. We can’t have it both ways, and sometimes the price to pay might be high. You’re probably too young to understand that—”

Anger simmered in Cloud’s eyes. “Then tell me.”

Rufus’ gaze met the sky above, as if reminiscing on something personal to him. Something unpleasant. “Blitzball with all its popularity often comes with more than its fair share of possessive fans. I… just don’t want to see the two of you go through what my wife and I did, back then.”

Cloud’s breath hitched in his throat. There was a far-away look in Rufus’ eyes that evidently hinted of bitterness.

“What happened?” Cloud asked, studying his Captain’s poker-face. Yet, something had cracked in Rufus’ expression.

“Back when I was star player before I got promoted to Captain, I was a lot like you. Peak of my career, massive fanbases. Then I met my wife. Call it cyber bullying, negative paparazzi, whatever fancy term you want – my wife took the brunt of my fans’ acting out in refusal to accept the truth of us.” Rufus looked slightly pained from the memory.

Cloud’s mind spun. He couldn’t have imagined how it was like for his Captain. His own fans had been nothing but supportive and thoroughly adoring till now. But Rufus was right on one point— Cloud had only begun his foray into the professional sport a few years ago and had no experience dealing with the worst side of fans yet.

“I’m not saying it’s going to happen,” Rufus added as an afterthought, “I’m just saying to watch out for your girl. My wife willingly endured all of that back then when we both agreed to not retaliate at the media in order not to hurt my skyrocketing career– something I’m not sure I don’t regret till today for not having done enough to protect her back then. But she had adamantly refused, believing all of that would pass eventually.”

“Aerith…” Cloud gritted his teeth, his lips gravely set in a firm line, “She’ll be different.”

“Maybe she would be. Maybe your fans will love her. Who knows, huh?” Rufus stirred his drink contemplatively.

“Nothing will happen to her.” Resolute determination glittered in aquamarine eyes. “I’ll see to it.”

Rufus nodded quietly.

“…Thanks, Cap…And I’m sorry about your wife.” Cloud winced. He was never good at affairs of the heart or comforting someone else, especially someone as stoic as his Captain.

“Doesn’t matter now.” The corner of Rufus’ lips lifted slightly. “We got married. The fans pretty much got bored with us and moved on. Life doesn’t get any better than this.” 

Cloud nodded. “I’m glad.” He meant it.

Rufus’ smirk widened, “Speaking of your girl, she’s here, Strife. I’d better not interrupt and find my wife.”

Cloud followed his Captain’s gaze where he could make out Aerith waving at him, approaching them at the balcony.

His stomach caved in. _Shit._ Were his nerves ready again? No, never, his entire body would never be ready for her.

Rufus seemed to have sensed his star player tensing up. He let out a chuckle, holding his wine glass up to Cloud as a gesture of bidding him good evening. “Enjoy the rest of your evening, MVP.” And he departed with the faintest hint of a smile that never quite left the Captain’s face.

“Thought I’d find you here,” Aerith reached his side, breaking into a broad smile that caught the light of the stars above, casting her entire face into infinite patterns of speckled stardust.

Cloud thought of Rufus’ words as his eyes settled on her lovely face.

 _I’m just saying to watch out for your girl._ Rufus’ words repeated ominously in his head. 

Reinvigorated by a sudden impulse to protect the woman who was now looking at him like he held her universe, he balled his fists tightly by his sides.

If anyone dared hurt her, he would surely lose it. 

“You’re tired.” Cloud watched her suppressed a yawn. Concern clouded his face. “Shall we go home?”

“Let’s,” she nodded with a sheepish, tired smile. The night had been magical, but it had worn on her as well.

And her stupid stomach had to choose of all opportune times to grumble this very minute.

Cloud tried to hide a smirk in vain. “Burger and fries weren’t enough for the violinist?”

“Oh, you,” she swatted him playfully.

His eyes softened. The moonlight collapsing against her cheeks framed her profile into a masterpiece, rupturing his breath halfway.

“Ice cream?” He no longer bothered to hide the smile curving his lips.

The glow in her eyes matched his. “Peppermint and strawberry?”

“Yep.”

And he let her wrap her fingers around his and usher him out into the night of glittering silvers and golds.

* * *

Dawn arrived the next day quickly for Zanarkand.

In spite of the sleepy air that still hung over the city, the morning had greeted the citizens of Gaia with the most interesting piece of lifestyle news splashed across the headlines on local newsstands and endless platforms on social media. 

Clad head to toe in a dramatic shade of magenta red with hair perfectly coiffed up, a particular woman had her blue eyes fixed intently on her social media news feed reflected off the screen of her mobile phone. She licked her lips the shade of intense crimson, eyebrows furrowing.

The media had, as expected, covered the much coveted Blitzball gala last night.

There was a whole page spread of paparazzi photos to clue in every reader anticipating about how their favourite celebrities had spent the glamourous night, featuring a gallery chocked full of their fashion ensembles on the red carpet rolling into the grand ballroom.

The woman named Scarlet carefully studied the photo captured of the Zanarkand Raiders’ star player Cloud Strife.

That man never liked being in the spotlight – that much was obvious from the blurry, barely posed-for-the-camera shot that the media had candidly taken of him.

Her thumb slid over his photo, a glazed, dreamy – almost crazed – look in her eyes. If only that man knew…that the president of his biggest fanclub existed in the same university at him. But all forms of letters and electronic communication to the spikey-haired boy addressed to him had never been responded to, and it would be preposterous for her reputation in university to directly approach Cloud Strife face-to-face on campus.

Before she could further admire the blurry snapshot, she had scrolled past to the next photo and found herself looking disbelievingly at the image. 

Contempt and unmasked venom now dripped from blue eyes as Scarlet caught a glimpse of the woman hanging off the side of Cloud’s arm wearing a most pretty shade of lavender. 

Her heart fell all the way to her feet.

_Wait – what??_

In her years being an ardent fan of Cloud since his debut with the Raiders, he had _never_ allowed himself to be seen with another woman in the public eye.

Yet here he was. The lady holding his arm had brought her hand up for a wave and smiled sweetly to the paparazzi.

Sickened and suddenly wanting to retch, Scarlet’s felt her breath steam against her face. The muscles in her face shook as she held up her phone to get a closer look.

That woman – who was she?

She looked bloody familiar.

Scarlet seethed. The realization struck her full blow.

That woman, _was Aerith Gainsborough!_

The same Aerith who had stolen her scholarship to Zanarkand Conservatory of Music when they had attended high school together competing for that single audition spot for the judges. Of course they had picked _Aerith,_ instead.

Without that scholarship, Scarlet had been damned to years of cheating, lying and gambling to get by in life with enough money to support her undergraduate tuition fees. She abhorred those hellish, abominable days where she had scraped by on sleepless nights working multiple jobs to cope with the demanding expenses, and as if that reminder of Aerith having taken away what was meant to be originally hers wasn’t enough, they had to meet again in university playing for the same orchestra group.

 _Of course,_ when the Zanarkand Strings Orchestra was recruiting for a new Concertmistress, Aerith had won the faculty’s votes and snagged the role over Scarlet without so much of a bat of an eyelid. So many damned recitals, so many stage debuts – the university professors and adjudicators had chosen that amber-haired violinist over Scarlet.

And now, **_this._**

That woman had no right to be taking away everything that was meant to be hers. Surely it was time to show the amber-haired lady her place in society.

Scarlet scrolled through more pictures, rolling her eyes. Disgust and dread filled her.

God, it was so annoying. _Aerith this, Aerith that._

The media had labelled – no, hailed - her as Cloud Strife’s mysterious, beautiful date who had knocked everyone else out of the red carpet with her stunning lavender gown and gorgeous looks.

“Argh!!!” Scarlet screamed contemptuously, hurling her phone angrily across the room and letting it crash onto her bed.

Aerith had outshone her once more, stepping out onto the red carpet with none other than Cloud Strife.

Everything Scarlet had ever desired had gone instead to this woman, dooming her inferior life to an invisible existence in comparison.

Fists shaking uncontrollably, Scarlet forced herself to think. 

_Calm down, Scarlet…Calm down. You can salvage this. You can still take her down._

An email notification pinged on Scarlet’s laptop, snapping her out of her boiling thoughts.

More terrible, unbearable news. _No._

Scarlet read the email sent from the adjudicators of the Gaia World Orchestra with a look of horror crossing her face. They had sent the correspondence to announce the results of the auditions for the String Quartet they were looking to hire musicians to debut to the world.

Her heart plummeted to the floor, crashing into shards.

_“With a heavy heart, we wish to inform you that you have **not** been selected to debut in our all-female String Quartet to embark on a world tour around Gaia. _

_Congratulations to the following successful musicians who made the cut:_

_From Balamb – Rinoa, on Viola  
From Altissia – Lunafreya, on Cello  
From Coccoon – Serah, on 2nd Violin   
From Zanarkand – Aerith, on 1st Violin_

_Regards,  
The Committee of the Gaia World Orchestra” _

“No, no, no,” Scarlet sank into her chair in dismay.

They had chosen Aerith, _again_. Over her. Relegating Scarlet’s humdrum existence to another life led in vain. Another chance, another future that was banished into another what-if.

_And you’re just going to sit and watch while she takes all the limelight – as Gaia’s soon to be most famous violinist? As the girlfriend of Gaia’s most famous Blitzball player?_

“No,” Scarlet said aloud.

Something akin to ruthless determination glinted in her eyes, albeit dangerously, maliciously. A thought supplanted her mind like lightning and set the first wheel of catalyst firmly in place to spiral unchecked like hellfire.

She reached for her phone, hastily opening a new internet browser to log into a private university forum accessible and exclusive only to her fanclub members. 

A smirk lit her lips, though never quite reaching her eyes.

She pinged a message out,

_“Fellow fans, if you’re feeling anything like me – horrified and irked – at those photos of Cloud Strife and his gala date, fret not. We won’t go in this alone. How dare she, right? You guys ready to hear what I have planned?”_

And after she was certain of the concoction and execution of everything running through her head like quicksilver, Scarlet shut off her phone and grinned devilishly.

_Just you wait, Aerith. I’ll get back everything that’s meant to be mine._

**TBC**

* * *

A/N:

Ack! We’ve reached a point where I warn about a change in arc and direction of story. (Let’s just call it the Scarlet saga for now lol)

I understand the twist of events ahead might throw some readers off. I debated between different dramatic scenarios, weighed alternative plots, considered other villain characters, and decided to go ahead with this course of action, knowing some of you might hate it, some might not. But let’s see how it goes yep? 

Personally, I think Cloud needs a serious push to finally get through his feelings for Aerith – and the danger of Scarlet might be the catalyst he needs. Hmm.

p.s. An all-female string quartet feat. the other FF crossover female heroines with Aerith? I hope you’re as excited about seeing them debut as I am! I’m still thinking what cool name I should call their quartet! Ideas, anyone? ^_^

Comment/review – share your thoughts! 😊

Myst-san

* * *

Poetry references/credits:  
(ALL DAMN POIGNANTLY PERFECT in describing Clerith it makes me tear) —

_“I don’t know how you are so familiar to me – or why it feels less like I’m getting to know you and more as though I am remembering who you are. How every smile, every whisper brings me closer to the impossible conclusion that I have known you before, I have loved you before – in another time, a different place, some other existence.” - Lang Leav_

_“In some other life we are standing side by side, and laughing that, in some other life, we are apart.” – d.j._

_“We are hurtling through space and time, toward the most beautiful collision.” – Lang Leav_

_“And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality. I’d find you and I’d choose you.” – The chaos of Stars_


	16. covetous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “All these years together, Cloud. Are you going to forsake our memories all for one night with Aerith?”  
> Tifa had moved to crouch on his bed, taking both of his hands in hers.   
> “What’s it going to be? A blip in your present, or our past, Cloud?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n:
> 
> like the chapter title suggests – the theme of covetous/jealousy will be central here oops =x hence prepare for lots of drama. 
> 
> insert usual **anti Cloti/Tifa warning** for this chapter.   
> WARNING: theme of **bullying** featured. If it’s a sensitive topic pls refrain from proceeding. I totally understand. 
> 
> also apply usual no beta-read-no-time-imma-old-and-lazy disclaimer. 
> 
> myst-san

**\--x chapter 16: covetous**

Aerith tried her hardest to focus on the soft tune of her violin passing through her ears – all the chords binding together achieving the effect of transporting her elsewhere but here in her bedroom she had turned into her makeshift practice space. 

In reality her mind could scarcely envision anyone else but _him._

Last night…

She drew a soft sigh, letting the violin bow in her hands slip down onto the music stand in mild frustration. It was no use focusing this morning– her mind was too far away, and she wasn’t exactly having the most productive day with her practice, thanks to a certain spikey-haired man.

Last night for them had been _too_ intimate.

Something akin to dread filled her as the memories came flooding back. She was all too aware suddenly of his lingering nearness, the feel of his arm around her waist…and she could no longer think of anything else saved for his ruthlessly handsome, impossibly boyish face. Like stars to the moon, she had found herself helplessly drawn into his embrace last night, never wishing for time to move.

Aerith grimaced. And she was _this_ close, this close to committing a most foolish, senseless act she could never properly rationalise.

Despondency shook her as she sank into the bed with a look of dismay thinking back to her almost folly.

If Yuffie hadn’t interrupted them in time, she would have _kissed_ him. Undeniably, inevitably so.

Could she have helped it, though? When they were waltzing in each other’s arms, Aerith had felt the entire world disappear around them. No more crowds, no more grand ballroom, no more romantic music in three-four metre playing in the backdrop.

There was only Cloud – encasing her into the warmth of his arms.

Aerith decided she had much to thank Yuffie for when the young girl had appeared out of nowhere to break the hypnotic spell binding her to Cloud. If she had succumbed to her weakness and actually _kissed_ Cloud – good grief, she couldn’t imagine how she would have single-handedly destroyed her friendship with him in one go. Things would have never been the same again between them, and Aerith couldn’t bear to think how she would have altered the dynamics of their friendship forever.

Especially just as Cloud was beginning to warm up to her, at last.

Kissing him then – that would have been a most stupid, silly thing to do. She would _never_ forgive herself.

_But…_

_But I don’t…I don’t want to be just friends,_ Aerith thought miserably.

Whatever had happened to her? She had been confident at first striking a friendship with the unflappable, stoic star player of Zanarkand Raiders, finding him increasingly familiar to some kind of past memory, and she _had_ been curious to see what she would discover about him eventually…

…and then along the way, something happened.

The more they hung out together, the more starry nights, the more memories they shared, his heart, his soul, touched places in her she never knew existed. He had won her feelings over without him so much as even trying.

Each time she stared into his blue eyes, she could see entire galaxies in them until she could no longer tolerate her world existing without their eternal blueness. 

Sighing, Aerith pinched her cheeks, feeling the blood beneath her skin run hotter than ever. 

So now the inevitable had happened.

She had gone – stupidly, foolishly – and _fallen in love with Cloud Strife._

Aerith recalled the aftermath of last night’s gala with a terrible feeling in her stomach. After they had both gotten some ice cream for dessert and he had dropped her home, they had stood outside her apartment for the longest time wordlessly staring at each other before she had beamed and hurriedly waved him good night.

Then she had shut the door behind her and dove into her bedsheets before her crazy, thudding heart could commit something so silly as to will her limbs to move, tip-toe and kiss Cloud Strife on the mouth. 

It was truly hard not to, when he had looked at her with the most intense blue eyes under the moonlight.

A sudden beep on her mobile phone alerted her to a new correspondence coming through her email inbox, providing for a much-needed respite from her tumultuous thoughts. Aerith blinked repeatedly at her phone, reading the message over and over again, letting the first, tangible trace of joy flash across her face. Surely the email wasn’t jesting that she had been shortlisted to debut as part of Gaia’s new String Quartet?

Aerith barely had time to digest the delightful news when she had received a most unexpected call from an urgent-sounding Yuffie screaming into the phone to “no matter what, don’t check the online gossips or daily news or university forums, don’t fuckin’ search yourself up on the internet, Aerith!”

The tone of emergency underlying her friend’s voice sounded deadly serious. Yuffie had shut a bewildered Aerith up from asking any more questions, only warning her to stay away from the internet for her own good. 

Aerith hung up, brushing off the sense of uneasiness growing inside of her. As if that call wasn’t odd enough, things for the amber-haired violinist only grew exponentially more bizarre as the hours of the day ticked by. She had not yet the slightest inkling of just how tremendously peculiar the events would await her day.

For one, she had only to set foot later into the music faculty building before noticing the sea of faces around her casting furtive glances her way. Strangers and onlookers were congratulating her – Aerith was _certain_ their reasons had nothing to do with the fact that she had been selected by the Gaia World Orchestra.

On the flip side, familiar faces around the building were suddenly regarding her with a coldness and a distant formality that hadn’t been there before. Even acquaintances who used to greet her enthusiastically seemed to be ignoring her presence, very obviously and deliberately looking elsewhere as if she was made of glass.

In short, everyone had some sort of response to Aerith today, whereas in the past she could fade into the crowd easily as another passer-by on her merry way. 

Aerith bit her lips as she swung her violin case behind her back.

Something smelt fishy; amiss – but what was it? It definitely had to do with the internet news Yuffie had warned not to check.

Pushing aside these strange distractions, Aerith approached the faculty bulletin board to confirm the news that the email correspondence she received earlier was accurate. Her thumb ran over her initials on the display board, her heart swelling in pride and joy.

The news was true. She couldn’t believe her eyes.

The Gaia World Orchestra had planned to debut a new string quartet group for a while. It was meant to be received as a highly anticipated all-female group that would tour the whole of Gaia for a line-up of concerts around arenas and popular venues scattered across continents and cities. The whole prospect brought Aerith waves of giddy exhilaration.

The best part? Knowing she had been selected alongside three other amazing female musicians whom they had all once upon a time met at an orchestra camp two summers ago and had kept in touch ever since.

Aerith broke into a comforted smile. She could _not_ wait for their long-distance friendships to come to a halt.

Beside her, a cough interrupted her thoughts.

“I see you pulled it off again. Congratulations, Gainsborough.”

Aerith turned to her side, the colour red catching her eye instantly.

It was Scarlet, fellow violinist and assistant Concertmistress in their university orchestra. There was no mistaking those vivid blue eyes and striking up-do anywhere, coupled with the distinct magenta shade of her dress.

“Hi Scarlet,” Aerith greeted with a wave. “Thank you.”

“Haa,” Scarlet snorted, “Don’t you ever get tired of beating me in everything, Gainsborough?”

“Sorry,” Aerith shook her head sheepishly, “All’s fair in the auditions, right?”

“Gwa ha ha,” Scarlet mocked a laugh, the sound spitting out of her mouth venomously, causing a startled Aerith to step back. The blonde-haired lady had a reputation for being snide and obnoxious, but she seemed to be in an extremely foul mood today, “All’s fair indeed, Aerith, all’s fair.”

Then she had sent such a malicious look in Aerith’s way that had raised all the hair on her skin. 

“Yep, Gainsborough, I guess we really do get what we deserve,” Scarlet turned on her red stilettos, casually waving behind her shoulders, “ _Ciao_.”

Aerith shuddered involuntarily. Something about the way the words had rolled off Scarlet’s tongue had sent shivers down her spine. _I guess we really do get what we deserve._ Whatever had Scarlet meant? And why was everyone around her acting so oddly today?

Frowning, Aerith headed to her locker and unbolted the door. 

She sprung back with rounded, shellshocked eyes as a hand swiftly flew to her mouth to muffle the scream that she would have otherwise let out in the whole building.

White, worm-like maggots greeted her sight as she held the locker door open. The soft-bodied legless grubs were crawling around the space atop her books and sheet music, infesting every corner and ceiling. 

Aerith staggered backwards, her knees buckling. Bile rose in her throat, and it was all she could do to try and calm her breathing down in order to maintain some semblance of order in her blank mind. She forced herself to inhale deeply, and after a few long breaths, had regained enough composure to manage a glimpse of the slip of paper stuck to the centre of the infestation mess.

It was a sticky-note with bold permanent marker scrawled over it with prominent words –

_“Stay away from Cloud Strife – or else.”_

Aerith let out a shaky breath, her wits putting two to two together quickly. She suddenly understood why Yuffie had made the call to her in the morning, and why everyone had looked at her funny the whole day.

And now, _this._

…What else was next?

In the hours ahead, the gravity of the situation gradually unfurled before her eyes.

When it was time to hand in her music assignment to the professor – the same assignment Aerith had spent all five long nights ploughing through to hopefully get that distinction for her module – the hardcopy print-out was nowhere to be found in her bag. Lost, or stolen, in the interim of her entering the school premises to her next destination.

Later when she had gone to her personal compartment in the practice room where she stored her manuscripts and concert pieces…well, at least this time her music sheets weren’t stolen. Though there was no more comfort discovering that they had been instead shredded into a million paper bits of white squares.

All her painstaking notations, her coloured highlighting, her notes and comments – gone down the drain; _kaput._

By mid-day, a bleary-faced Aerith barely making it through the unexpected chaos thrown her way, had slumped into a chair in the university library, feeling drained and weary.

She prayed they – whoever they were – left her alone here, for the time being.

Fingers shaking, she held out her phone and hoped she wouldn’t regret her decision to check for the Internet news. Whatever they were, she had speculated the worst even if Yuffie had not gone into specifics.

Aerith rubbed her eyes to check she wasn’t seeing things, not believing how much false news and misinformation had spread online in just one night.

A pain that was more emotional than physical sliced through her heart, as she read through every fiery comment, every hurtful gossip, every untrue rumour her eyes gleamed from the Internet.

_Gaia, so this is what it feels like to be hammered into pieces by the unforgiving world outside._

Had she known going to the Blitzball gala as Cloud’s plus one could have garnered so much backlash from his fans? No.

But even then – would she had made a different choice?

Aerith’s mind flashed back to the waltz they had shared, the ride on his Fenrir, how she had nearly wanted to kiss him right there and then under chandelier lights...

…and in spite of all the adversities, she found herself smiling, given the irony of the situation.

Did she regret any of it? No. A thousand times over, no.

Not even social media branding her a whore, not even the university forums hating on her, not even the Internet articles labelling her an ugly slut or a paid social escort to walk the red carpet, could nullify all the blissful memories of her and Cloud last night. 

_Don’t give up, Aerith. It’s not like you._

She tightened her fists, fighting the tears springing to her eyes. Catching a glimpse of the library toilet, she determined to give herself only five minutes to cry her eyes out.

And then she would rise up stronger, and not let anything –nor anyone – take her down again.

* * *

Cloud’s world spun.

Fuck, his head hurt. His bones ached everywhere. His muscles were sore. His migraine was killing him, and his body was scorching like Inferno’s hell. He was sinking into the depths of a fiery pit, he was sure. One that burnt him alive.

He had awoken in his bedroom, nursing a damn fever.

Under the light cotton sheet of his bed, he was radiating heat like a brick right out of the oven. Having missed his first morning lecture back at university today, his housemates had nearly overdosed him with the most unappealing broths of herbal medicine to ease his discomfort before they had left the house.

Barret had threatened to haul him straight to the doctor, but Cloud had stubbornly refused saying wild horses would and could not drag him. In the end, it was Cid who gave in to the younger man’s whims and had placed cool cloths on Cloud’s forehead before knocking the latter out with a handful of paracetamols. Vincent had left him piping hot chicken stock in the kitchen and advised him to sleep in for the rest of the day.

Cloud sighed, staring blankly at the ceiling above.

The long, strenuous Tournament had finally taken a toll on him. He had tolerated the mental and physical fatigue up till now, but the burnout he had increasingly felt had to happen eventually. Hence, the fever.

_Great. Now I’m fuckin’ stuck here in the dingy depths of my room._

He felt for his forehead – he still had a bloody temperature. He closed his eyes – Vincent was right. Maybe he had best sleep in, after all.

As soon as his eyes had shut, he was immensely aware of _her_ vision fleeting through his mind.

Cloud tossed restlessly in bed, hurling the blankets around his neck. A different kind of heat had enveloped him – one unlinked to his fever. He could not make sense of the invisible hands now wrapping around him making him feel safe whenever he pictured her smile. It was as if her delicate fingertips had undone every single knot in his stomach.

And he certainly had not been prepared at all for the pang of loss; the disconcerting despondency and darkness that claimed his world when she had departed from the circle of his arms, almost as if she had taken his universe with her.

Cloud’s cheeks burnt. He hid deeper within the duvets of his bed, forgetting his burning fever momentarily.

He could still see it – her tracing fingers along his jaw…and when her eyes had settled on his mouth, he, too, had this incredible urge to reach out for her, to touch her, to return the gesture and- and –

_Oh my god. I’m losing it._

He had wanted…

What had he wanted?

He wasn’t sure, either.

But he had gazed so intently at each divot of her lips, as if mapping out ancient seas and unknown galaxies, just as he was certain she was gazing back at him there. And if the moment hadn’t been interrupted—

Cloud jerked up in his bed, his body and cheeks flushed.

What…what would have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted?

_I don’t know. I don’t want to know. Fuck!!_

He couldn’t form an answer, so he simply dived back into his bed with exasperation and despair. He was a solid mess – physically and emotionally. That amber-haired lady haunted him; terrified him; drove him out of his wits. Were all females this potent – or just this one?

He stumbled out of bed, determined that a glass of cold milk or Vincent’s chicken soup would cure him out of his racing thoughts. He was going insane, that was for sure. Thinking about a woman when he had nothing else to think about. Dammit – maybe this was what happened when he was suddenly no longer kept busy and distracted with Blitzball. Now that Tournament was over and he had at least a week or so to kill before trainings picked up again –

His stomach churned.

That meant he had more time at hand to think about her. To let his mind wander.

No, no, this was no good.

Milk. He needed milk.

Cloud had barely set foot outside his bedroom when a noise startled him. He looked at the apartment door opening, and a familiar black-haired lady stood in sight, her ruby-wine eyes staring into cool blue ones.

“Tifa?” Cloud looked surprised. He had not expected Tifa to visit now, of all times.

“Hey, Cloud, what are you doing getting up?” Tifa said sternly, hurrying to his side, “Barret told me you were sick. Quick, get back into bed and let me take care of you.”

Cloud suddenly wished she had been the amber-haired lady instead.

He shook his head and allowed the fist-fighter to steady him back to bed. She had brought a tumbler for him – having concocted a drink she deemed would aid him in getting better soon.

“Here, drink this.” She ordered, watching him take a sip from her tumbler. “Better?”

“Yep.”

Tifa was quiet for a long time as she watched Cloud digest the contents of the beverage. The latter sensing her disquiet, looked up to the glazed look in her eyes. “You okay?”

She sat straighter in her chair, a grave expression on her face, “Cloud, you never mentioned anything about the gala to me.”

“Uh,” Cloud busied his eyes with the bedsheets in his lap, “It hadn’t really crossed my mind.”

“Really?” He could sense Tifa raising an eyebrow. “All this time, and you’ve never even bothered to ask.” _Never bothered to ask **me**. And yet in one night, you’ve gone and taken someone else instead as your date. _

Cloud realized Rufus had been right. The moment those photos hit the news the next day and the world knew of Aerith’s existence, things were going to change. Had he thought twice through the repercussions of bringing Aerith as his date to the gala? Had he considered how things might have altered for them? For Aerith?

He sighed. Too late for that now. And if Aerith came to any harm like Rufus’ wife had—

He would never forgive himself if she was hurt in any way.

“That’s my fault. Not Aerith’s.” Cloud said defensively, reading what was on Tifa’s mind.

Tifa looked away hastily, stung by his comment. “All this time…You never bothered to bring up that you had been spending all these nights with her, that the both of you had something going on—”

“Tifa—” Cloud had cut her off coolly, his eyes locking onto hers seriously, “If I had known it was bothering you, I would have told you.”

“And you don’t think it would bother me?” Tifa allowed the hurt to show in her eyes. “All this time, Cloud. We’ve been seeing each other for years – _years,_ and then a gala night comes and you bring another date with you. What does this all mean?” She wrung her arms about her exasperatedly.

Cloud shot her a genuinely confused look, “Seeing each other?”

“What, do you insinuate otherwise?” Tifa folded her arms, squinting her eyes.

“Tifa,” Cloud pressed his lips tight, “I apologize if I have allowed you to misinterpret—”

“No, no,” Tifa shoved her hands into her ears, shaking her head vehemently, “I won’t hear it, Cloud. I refuse to.”

His eyes softened. In spite of everything, he hadn’t meant to hurt his friend. “Tifa…”

“Tell me it was just a one-off,” Tifa was desperately rambling on, snatching Cloud’s hand in hers, “Tell me it was just one night and you were just desperate for a gala date. That’s all I need to hear. That it was just for one night. It hadn’t meant anything.”

_Had it not meant anything for him and Aerith, though?_

An inner voice demanded in the back of Cloud’s head, rationalizing that last night had meant more than just a one-off for him and Aerith.

But Tifa had already moved to crouch on his bed in front of him, taking both of his hands in hers. Her eyes were doleful, hinting of the hurt, and the comfort she now desperately sought.

“All these years together, Cloud – are you going to forsake our memories all for one night with Aerith? We’ve known each other since childhood and through two schools, and now Fate has brought us together again in university. What is it going to be? A blip in your present, or your past – _our_ past, Cloud?”

Silence befell them – her holding onto his hands, and him falling deathly still.

A blip in his present?

Her words had bitten him, stronger than he had anticipated.

Aerith…was more than a blip of his present – that single chance encounter in the music hallway that fateful day had sprung his entire events of his life uncontrollably, blissfully into somewhere he saw in his twenty-one years of living the closest to paradise. Surely, surely she was heaven-sent, lending his previous dark abyss of world so much more light in it; so much more radiance, so much more warmth.

…How was it possible then that the university’s most sought-after girl desired by most men was now holding him in his own bedroom, but his mind was anywhere but on Tifa? That his mind was thinking about someone else – a particular amber-haired lady with the most gorgeous set of green eyes and skin as delicate as silk?

At his reticent response, Tifa made her next move. She knelt on his bed before Cloud and straddled him, the strength of hers nearly knocking him back down into his bed.

“Tifa—” Cloud warned. He had never seen Tifa like this spiralling out of control. There was a different depth to her eyes, one that showed hurt, distress and a yearning for something beyond her control.

And dammit – he was still burning with a fever. Why had she chosen of all days to do this now? He had little defenses left in him to resist her overpowering strength, and so he could only yield to her holding his shoulders, her straddling him on the bed. His body and brain ached too much to fight back today.

“Cloud,” Tifa’s voice was low as her fingers pressed down on his shoulders, “Would you have taken me to the gala instead if given a choice? Would you?”

Cloud hadn’t needed a nanosecond to consider.

Aerith was never a second choice. Not once.

“Tifa,” Cloud sighed, closing his eyes. Having a fever and having to blow a woman off his back – he wasn’t sure which was worse, but he was having the worse of both coins today.

Tifa leant closer, her weight pinning Cloud immobile. “Would you?” She repeated her question.

It was as if she had already anticipated his answer, and there was a sadness clinging onto her expression. She was about to speak when a sudden clattering sound resonated in his bedroom, and both of them turned to the source, stunned.

…It was Aerith standing by the doorframe, her eyes shellshocked as her gaze drifted from Tifa straddling Cloud, to the motionless, dumbstruck spikey-haired man on the bed.

The bento box in Aerith’s hands had clattered to the floor loudly, as she now struggled to recover from her present state of shock at having caught sight of them – of them –

“Sorry, this is truly bad timing.” Sense had kicked in full blown into her blood, and Aerith was now scrambling to pick up her chopsticks and bento box, her voice stammering as she swiftly stood up and slid away from the doorframe.

“Aerith—” Cloud was sitting up in his bed now, brushing past an alarmed Tifa.

“No, don’t worry, please, I was disturbing,” Aerith’s eyes were pleading as she took a hasty step back. Before Cloud had the deftness in him to chase after her, his migraine had swirled back into his vision, slowing his limbs down.

His vision spun into stars.

Aerith had vanished just as quickly as she had arrived.

How—wha—

It didn’t matter. She was gone.

And the pang of loss in his chest and the sound of his heart ripping into two could not compare to the wings of a butterfly being shredded apart.

**TBC**

* * *

a/n:

yay! Aerith finally realizes she’s in love with our dense doofus Cloud.

But ack! now that was nasty/angsty/emo/dramatic all at once. Wonder what Cloud-san will do to try and salvage this situation hmmm. And yes he's still kept in the dark about everything else happening to Aerith...sigh. 

Leave me a comment/review to make my day ^^ you know you wanna

myst-san


	17. feverish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud gulped. He hadn’t envisioned them falling like this.
> 
> …They had literally, physically entangled themselves on his bed – him now pinning her beneath his weight, their noses mere inches away from touching. 
> 
> And he was lying atop of her, half-naked without a damn shirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n:
> 
> ahem not spoiling anything for you guys…but YASSSS I hope this chapter ends up giving you as much excitement as it did me. *sniggers evilly 
> 
> sorry this work week had been so crazy for me and this probably is the worst beta-read chapter ever, not like I really beta-read my stuff much but you know what I mean. I apologize in advance for any glaring errors etc!! insert **non-existent beta-read chapter** warning here. MY BAD.
> 
> Myst-san

_Run as far as you can, Aerith. Don’t look back._

_Breathe, run, breathe._

Aerith’s distorted view slowly came to focus as her weary feet finally gave way and she found herself crumbling against the walls of her residence hallway. She was desperately trying to catch her breath, not trusting herself to stand on two feet yet, and so she slid to the floor, her back meeting the cold, hard cement behind.

She shut her eyes, wanting miserably to shut away everything else she had witnessed a couple of minutes ago in his bedroom. The image tore at her, and she hadn’t expected the tempest of emotions to crash into her like an unanticipated collision of force when her eyes had taken in the reality of the circumstance. Neither had she expected the pain to have hurt that much.

Surely she wasn’t surprised to see Tifa and Cloud together? Much less in bed?

Aerith cast her glance towards the vacant, bleak ceiling, rubbing out a tear stinging at her eye, determined not to let a whole dam of pain flood into her chest. It _had_ been a terrible day, what with everything on campus keeping her on her toes the whole time, and now _this._

Surely this was not how Cinderella had felt after the clock had struck for midnight and the ballroom dance had ended for her and her prince charming?

If it was, it was far too cruel. And everything that had transpired since had been awful. Aerith wasn’t one who let things demolish her eternal optimism, but the loneliness that had ebbed in today had made her feel like she had been cast aside with the world against her. Even a tough soldier in her situation was bound to break, and this was a battleground she was doomed to fight on her own.

After she had cried her eyes out in the university library earlier and swore she would not shatter again, Barret had phoned through to her to update about Cloud’s sickness. In her frenzied state of worry about his condition, she had thrown all other concerns aside and gone straight home to cook up some soft porridge and hot soup in a determined effort to visit him later—

And of course in her frenzy, she had overlooked the fact that Cloud might possibly already have someone else by his side taking care of him, beating her to her intentions.

_Why haven’t I used my brains to think, silly Aerith?_

Aerith rubbed the sides of the temples, cursing herself for not thinking twice. And mostly for not even remembering to knock on Cloud’s bedroom door.

And now she had walked in on—

Oh never mind, Aerith pinched her cheeks. _Cheer up, Aerith_ , she told herself.

Although it felt like her heart had been shredded into a million shards with a pain more intense than a thousand and one papercuts embellished into her skin, Aerith prayed that time would be the magical elixir that would eventually mend the wounds like a band-aid.

Her fingers clutched at her heart – she could still feel it pounding immensely, from the shock of having seen them together in his room, and from the exertions of the entire day.

She drew a sigh. However little strength she felt her limbs now possessed, she _had_ to stay strong. Even if the world was determined to ostracize her to the most desolate place wanting to watch her bleed. No matter how gruelling, how laborious, how debilitating her days would unfold from this point onwards, she had to learn how to hold her own fort.

_And as for Cloud-_

Aerith regained what little strength left in her and pushed herself off the ground, rising up from the cold hard floor. An ache wedged like a huge spanner in her chest, akin to concrete dying beneath her skin. But she knew she would not benefit any more from dwelling in self-pity and pessimism.

She weighed the bento box in her hands carefully, contemplating her next choice of action.

…And yet _he_ was sick.

Poor Cloud probably had exhausted himself the past few nights, and she was partly to blame, wasn’t she? It hadn’t been just the Tournament that had worn him out, Aerith was certain. All those late nights together, him playing the gentleman and bringing her on a date to the carnival, sending her home after the gala night, staying out into the early morning hours with her…

She held partial responsibility, no, _most_ of the responsibility, for him being sick now.

There was no time now for a self-pity party. She had to ignore the temptation to wallow in her own miseries and focus on the matter at hand – Cloud Strife was nursing a fever, and she had to fight the pandemonium of her own emotions to tackle her top priority: making sure he got well first. And then reality and the grim, ugly world could hit her like a brick all at once after.

Aerith inhaled deeply, steadying her nerves, mustering enough courage and bravery to face whatever circumstances Fate would hurl in her way next.

 _Midnight. I’ll visit him at midnight when he’s asleep and won’t know I’m there. And I’ll be in and out so quick like mice he won’t even realize._ She made up her mind. She didn’t know if she could face him entirely if he was awake lest the stark reminder of him and Tifa’s relationship hit her like a tidal wave again. It was definitely easier to keep a distance from him when he was sound asleep, rather than to risk falling apart emotionally before him in his conscious state.

She set her lips firmly into a thin line.

_Midnight. I’ll let Barret know first._

* * *

“Hey Aerith,” Cid greeted enthusiastically as the dainty figure approached the group of men video-gaming on their apartment couch.

“Hi,” Aerith waved. Vincent and Barret threw quick smiles in her way to acknowledge her presence. They were otherwise pre-occupied with the video game controllers in their hands, and the attention reverted back to their game immediately. The amber-haired lady shot them a sheepish smile, “I’m not disturbing, am I?”

“Naw, it’s a friggin’ weekend tomorrow. We’re all just chilling,” Cid gave the younger girl a kind smile, “Wanna join us for a video game?”

Aerith elicited a bubbly laugh. She really did like Cloud’s housemates. They had never treated her unkindly and seemed to be fond of her as well. “I’ll take up the offer another time, Cid.”

Vincent smirked, although his eyes were glued to the TV screen, “Why are you even asking her, Cid? You know she’s here obviously to visit Spike, not us.”

Barret guffawed, “Hell yeah, Aerith, you go in and heal Spikey Head for us so we can stop takin’ care of him and get him off our backs.”

Aerith giggled and hugged her tumbler to her chest. Odd, this intimidating-looking bunch of men looked a lot scarier in person than when they opened their mouths to converse. Here in this chilly room, she felt only warmth. “Thanks for letting me visit.”

“Hey, you’re welcome here anytime to help babysit our little one,” Cid shot her a wink, which she reciprocated with a twinkle in her eyes.

The boys engrossed themselves back in their video game. Or pretended to, anyway.

When Aerith had disappeared into Cloud’s room, Vincent let out a mumble under his breath, “Think Cloud saw the news today?”

“The paparazzi? Those &@*#(&@*( media and fans are the biggest piece of shits,” Cid balled his fists, shoving an unlit cigarette into his mouth, fury evident in his eyes, “Treating Aerith like the scums of Gaia they are.”

“Nah, it’s best we keep it from Spikey head for now,” Barret replied.

Vincent nodded, agreeing to the sensible notion, “Don’t want him to be aggravated in his current condition. Let him get well first.”

“Have you hidden his phone from him? Otherwise he’s bound to check the news,” Cid reminded.

“Yep, boy hasn’t even asked for it today. Must be too tired,” Barret chuckled.

“I do hope the girl’s alright, though,” Cid mentioned as an afterthought, then sighing, “She must have known about the rumours and #@&*(&*(. Have you seen how tired Aerith looked awhile ago?”

Vincent and Barret nodded solemnly.

“I smell something fishy, though,” Vincent pointed out, his intelligent brains taking three steps ahead of everyone else being the typical Dean’s List student he was, “It cannot possibly be that in just the span of twenty-four hours the media has proliferated with all these rumours and backlash.”

“I agree,” Cid looked deep in thoughts, “Somehow I feel this is all orchestrated…”

Silence hung in the air of the apartment, saved for the occasional punctuation of virtual gun-shots from their video game.

“We don’t have the evidence for now,” Vincent paused, “Let’s just wait and see.”

* * *

Aerith shut the door quietly after her and stared at a soundly sleeping Cloud with his side turned to her, his eyelids closed in slumber.

With an effort not to wake him, she placed the tumbler filled with her homemade hot ginger chicken porridge and soup onto his bedside. Her eyes softened as she approached him silently in the dark, peering over his sleeping form. He had curled himself into a fetal position like a young child with his hands tucked beneath his cheeks, and in that moment emanated so much innocence and boyishness that it melted her right there. The blankets had been carelessly tossed aside by him onto the ends of the bed, and Aerith gently pulled them back up to tuck the covers under his chin.

He stirred in his sleep but did not awaken. A smile weaved onto her lips as she studied him carefully. His features caught the moonlight filtering through his windowpanes, and with its silvery shafts reflected off his skin in the gentlest dance of light, he looked impossibly young, impossibly more handsome, yet somehow appeared tougher; braver.

Aerith caught her breath. There it was again – that incredible longing to touch him had returned.

She ought to flee. She had done her part; had set the tumbler down for him. She ought to leave before he could awaken to find her present.

Yet somehow as if the clocks have all melted away into the serenity of the night, she had found herself crouching by his bed, her eyes memorizing intently every contour of his face.

It was as if by some baffling, mystifying pull of gravity, she now found her fingertips hovering over his soundly sleeping face, aching to touch the curve of his eyelids, the crescent of his eyelashes, his nose, his mouth—

And why not? He was asleep, right? Knocked out with prescription drugs by now.

So she let her fingers roam – tracing his jaw, his cheekbones, the bridge of his nose, as if she was seeing all the infinite patterns of constellations beneath his skin. She touched his hair, and smiled ever so slightly to herself when she realized he had not bothered to spike them to the usual with wax today, and the floppiness of his unkempt hair covering his forehead caused her to stifle a giggle. He looked so vulnerable, it stirred a deep longing in her.

_And I wonder why I’m in love with this idiot. He’s too adorable in the moonlight._

A silly smile shone on her features, and she allowed her fingertips to comb through the tendrils of his blond hair one last time before she pulled away.

Away from the chaos of disorder from her entire day, away from the shackles of hurtful words, _here_ was a sanctuary where she was at last safe and warmth, even if for a while.

_Let’s go, Aerith. You’ve done what you needed to do._

She drew one last tender stroke down his jaw, before pulling away.

…And then a hand caught her mid-action, lifting swiftly to grip her wrist.

She blinked, startled, and found herself staring into wide, blue eyes the colour of every ocean she could drown in forever.

“S-Stay, Aerith,” the rousing sleeping boy croaked. His eyelids drifted open drowsily, his face still cloaked with grogginess. Their eyes met briefly, before his shut again, himself surrendering to the effects of the medication he had consumed.

Aerith melted. His words were her undoing.

She sat down on the cold floor by his side, contented to simply watching his face succumb to sleep once more. She felt for his forehead – no doubt he was still having a temperature, but she knew he would be better after a good night’s rest.

She gave a small yawn before resting her head against the soft edge of his bed. The last thing she saw before she had shut her eyes and fallen asleep were his fingers subconsciously, yet gently, closing around the circle of her wrists, as he, too, began to dream of tender dreams. 

* * *

Nothing had prepared Cloud for the way his universe halted the instant his eyes had opened and greeted the new morning.

Nothing had prepared him for the clocks to stop spinning the moment he set eyes on her sleeping form by his bedside; for time to be rendered obsolete, for everything else to be deemed irrelevant, as he took in the vision of an angel.

His lungs ceased to function, and all reminders to keep on breathing vanquished into thin air.

His eyes sought her out and combed every last intricate detail he wanted to immortalize into memory. As Cloud stayed in bed watching the sunshine dance around her, to the rise and fall of her chest as she slept soundly, he swore the cause of his sudden light-headedness stemmed naught from his fever that had overnight effectively subsided.

He watched the upturn of her lovely nose eliciting a soft snore, the little smile worn on her face as she dreamt, and every flame in his body came alive to lick and burn at his core. Hotter, brighter. His blood coursed until they nearly knocked the senses out of him, and his thoughts but all vanquished saved for the fog of her tenderness he now found himself helplessly drawn to.

And before he could reconsider his actions, before logic and rationale could deduce his next gesture as something improbably foolish, he had already lifted a finger to run it down the length of her silken cheek.

That single stroke ignited something akin to roaring embers beneath his fingertips where he had touched her, and Cloud could feel the ever rising heat scorch his cheeks. Definitely _nothing_ to do with his already non-existent fever.

 _I’m screwed. I’m a hundred percent screwed._ He fought desperately with his own defenses, but knew he was fighting a lost cause. He was running strokes up and down her cheeks, her nose, her eyelids, her temples, stopping short of her pink lips before his senses could teeter him into the brink of no return.

He stopped the ministrations of his fingers, too aware of his pounding heart.

 _It’s just the effect of the drugs. The side effects of dopamine, the adrenaline._ He justified.

His fingertips ached; yearned for more, and hovered over those lips – those damned soft, pink lips luring him to—

And then he was propping himself on his elbow, too caught up in the tidal waves of his heartbeat and conflicting emotions, and the incoherence of his thoughts could no longer hold him back as he leant closer to her scent, her nearness. He knew, there and then, that he wanted to touch her lips with more than just his fingers—

He wanted—

He wanted _more._

_He wanted to kiss her._

The reality of his desire hit him like a bolt of thunder.

_Bloody hell…I… I want to kiss her._

He leant closer, much closer, their noses nearly touching, inches apart now.

Anytime now, and he would get what he wanted; what he desperately needed.

He shut his eyes. It would be quick. She wouldn’t even know.

_Just one time, just one time, Strife._

He held his breath, and then throwing caution to the wind, leant his weight forward and—

\--and caught himself in time as she began to stir from sleep. Alarmed, he threw himself so forcefully back into bed that he swore his head nearly concussed into his pillow. 

“C-Cloud?” She called out drowsily, rubbing her eyes.

He racked a cough from his chest as loud as he could in a pathetic bid to cover up his thundering heart, and in record time had hurled the blankets over his body and whole damn furiously hot face blushing a trillion shades of red.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck._

“Are you awake?” Aerith’s voice sent tingles all the way down to the curls of his toes.

He managed a mumble from beneath the blankets. “Yep.”

He could sense her smiling from where she was. He refused to lift the blankets from his face, not trusting his blushing expression not to betray him.

“Will you come out of the blankets so I can see if you’re better?” She asked gently.

_The hell I will. I’m hiding here in my shithole until—_

She had hurled the blankets down from his chin, exposing him in all his blushing glory.

He met her concerned eyes. “Are you alright down here, Cloud?”

“Yep.” He gave her an imperceptible nod, looking away.

Her features softened. “I’m glad. You must be hungry. I made you some porridge. Ready for breakfast?” 

He willed his limbs to sit himself up in bed. She had set the tumbler next to him and was scooping the grains into the spoon, preparing the hot food for him.

He eyed the contents warily, not bothering to hide his uncharacteristic nervousness with a cocked eyebrow, “Do I get a say in all this?”

She giggled, “Unfortunately you’re the sick person, so nope, you sit and be a good boy while I feed you, Cloud.”

He rolled his eyes as she held the spoon up to his mouth, but before she could feed him, the unfortunate events of last night had come crashing back into his memory. He recalled, wincing, and had instantly reached out to snatch her wrist in his firm but gentle grip.

Her spoon hung mid-air as she gauged his expression curiously. “Is something wrong?”

“About yesterday—” He started.

She shook her head vigorously, “It doesn’t matter, Cloud.”

“No, it does matter. Stop cutting me off,” he barked sternly, and at his order, Aerith fell silent, eyes wide in surprise at his outburst.

“There’s nothing between us, me and Tifa,” he explained, eyes softening at her, “it’s not what you think it is.”

His eyes held hers for the longest minute, as if beseeching her to understand.

A soft glow settled into her eyes, and her features acquired a smile as she covered his hand in hers.

“Okay, Cloud,” was all she had to say; needed to say.

Warmth gradually danced into her eyes, and Cloud heaved a deep sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted in the world was to chase her away again – recalling Vincent’s words about women ignoring men when they had caught them cheating with another woman. Just that abominable thought had incited Cloud to swear last night he would do everything to remedy the situation if he saw Aerith again. That is, if she did appear and gave him a chance to explain.

“Okay?” He repeated worriedly, cocking an eyebrow, “Just okay?” He didn’t push her hand away.

Aerith sighed, setting the spoon back down in her tumbler and pushed his breakfast temporarily aside. She then took both sides of his face in her palms and pinched his cheeks playfully, an impish glow lighting up her emerald eyes. The tender gesture tickled Cloud’s heart like the feather-light wings of a butterfly.

“You don’t need to explain, Cloud.” Her eyes bored into his. When she broke into a smile, his heart skittered. She held his face in her hands - holding his universe together, “I trust you.”

_Trust…me?_

His heart thumped louder. Whatever her words meant, it had incited the goofiest, silliest smile to curve the edges of his lips as he valiantly fought to hide it. She caught it, anyway, giggling.

“All okay now, Cloud?” She smiled.

Her warmth enveloped his entire soul.

He nodded. Barely managed to. “Okay,” he croaked.

Great, now he sounded like a frog in front of her. A quavering, timid frog.

He coughed, and she held the spoon to his lips once more. There was a stubborn look set in her face as she made a face at him. “Now, can we kindly shove this breakfast down your throat, Mister?”

This time, he did break into a smile in front of her as the first taste of comforting hot porridge touched his lips. “Yes, Mam.”

They sat like this for long, comfortable minutes – her feeding him dutifully, him opening his mouth heeding her instructions. All this while, he resisted a stupid smile spreading across his lips, thinking _why she gotta be so bossy,_ while she resisted the urge to wipe the porridge from his mouth, thinking _why he gotta be so stubborn._

When one thought the other wasn’t looking, an occasional furtive glance was stolen across the room at the other pair of eyes holding the incandescence of sunlight.

After he had obediently finished the porridge and she had set the tumbler on his desk, something out of the corner of her eyes caught her attention. She glimpsed a few vintage-looking photographs in old sepia shades sticking out from the midst of his Life Sciences university texts on his bookshelves, and took one between her fingers, examining the filmsy piece of paper.

Her eyes rounded in surprise and wonder.

It was an old elementary school photograph of him and Tifa taken together with their schoolmates at the last day of graduation. They had looked so young in those halcyon days, and Cloud had looked like the cutest, dorkiest geek Aerith thought she had set her eyes on the young boy in the photograph. Aerith flipped to the next photograph – it was another school photograph taken during middle school, and there it was, him and Tifa side by side smiling awkwardly at the camera. They were surrounded by a few other schoolmates around them, all laughing raucously into the photograph.

Aerith’s eyes skimmed over the faces. Her thumb rested on the images of Tifa.

“Aerith?” Cloud called out from behind her, worry lining his tone.

She surveyed the photographs. So they had known each other a long time, after all.

Her features softened with a smile, one without a single trace of envy or jealousy in spite of all that had transpired last night.

“Tifa’s gorgeous, isn’t she?” She murmured quietly. She had meant it sincerely. Even if they did love the same man, Tifa was still her friend.

Behind her, Cloud swallowed.

_No, you’re gorgeous._

“She’s beautiful.” She couldn’t help but let the smallest hint of longing enter her voice. Aerith truly wondered what it was like being Tifa growing up as the most popular girl in school all the time, constantly surrounded by the opposite gender, lavished by everyone's attention around her.

Aerith in contrast had grown up being regarded as somewhat of a wallflower oddball with that immense musical talent – but with that talent came people who shunned her for her gifts, calling her out to be too prodigious to ever fit into the normal terrain of social landscape.

Cloud sat up straighter in bed, yet to have found his voice.

_No, Aerith, you’re beautiful._

His mind reeled.

_Then tell her, you friggin’ idiot, Strife! Man the shit up and tell her! Who the fuck is going to hear you if you keep mumbling to yourself?_

Cloud slumped into the wall behind his bed, his hammering heart drowning all other sounds in his eardrums. _Fuck, I’m nervous._

Twenty-one years of his life, and no one had ever educated him on the 101 to complimenting or flattering a woman. Great, just great.

He was about to clear his throat free of his wrecking nerves when he heard her yelp, then shriek as she suddenly jumped into his bed. The sudden force of her diving into his arms knocked both of them back into his bedsheets – her lying atop of him with her arms fastened around his neck so tightly he could barely breathe, and him lying supine beneath her, his eyes widening so large, their veins were threatening to bulge.

Her nearness shocked the daylights out of him, and by Gaia, she was clinging onto him like her entire life depended on it. She looked considerably pale.

“Aerith, what happened!?” He held her in a startle, arms instinctively wrapping around her tiny waist to protect her from whatever shock she had endured.

He didn’t know which was worse – his nerves skittering all helter-skelter from the way she had her arms looped around his neck or that that he was left utterly gobsmacked and confused at her sudden, illogical reaction.

“I-Insect!” She croaked into the nape of his neck, “There’s a cockroach! I saw it, I swear it, Cloud!”

That and there, he could _not_ hide the grin on his face.

Oh. _Oh._

“Why is there a stupid insect in your room, Cloud!” Her voice sounded muffled in his neck, and he couldn’t help but savour their nearness in her state of shock. He could sense her innate fear of insects, and had already hooked a protective arm around her waist, encasing her in his arms.

“I don’t know – why don’t you ask the cockroach itself, Aerith?” His eyes crinkled with amusement.

That was when she pulled away from him. Their eyes met, and both were suddenly, painfully aware of their awkward position, in _his_ bed.

Cloud’s blood roared, and his world spun. Fuck, fuck, his self-control. All vanquished, when she looked at him like that and their faces were just an inch apart. Her atop of him clad in only a thin summer dress, and him beneath, holding her so close he could feel the rise and fall of her chest against his.

Was…was her heartbeat thudding as fast as his? Was that the sound of their heartbeats colliding together in the heat of the room, or just his?

She was staring at him, mouth slightly agape at their situation; the gravity of her actions.

 _Oh my god_ , she thought with dread, _what have I done!?_ She had physically thrown herself into bed – into _his bed._

Panic rose in her chest like a hurricane, and she quickly tore her limbs from him, eyes averting his gaze. The colours on her cheeks were very much as evident as the ones on his.

He cleared his throat as she coughed, both looking anywhere but each other.

“Kill it for me, please?” She pleaded quietly.

He had to chuckle this time, rising from bed to approach the hiding cockroach she had pointed out behind his desk.

She followed a few cautious steps behind, all the while hiding timidly behind his protective frame as Cloud’s eyes combed the ceiling and walls.

Nope- no cockroach, whatsoever.

“CLOUD!” She shrieked suddenly, “It’s flying! Over there!”

And he saw it – that damned cockroach flying into the air above his bed. In an instinctive moment, he had ripped his t-shirt over his head and used the cloth to swat the stubborn insect.

“W-Why are you using your shirt!?” Aerith’s eyes bulged to the size of saucers at the sudden expanse of exposed skin on the top-half of his body. 

“Then how else do you suggest I kill it? An invisible gun?” Cloud was jumping up and down wildly trying to use his shirt to take aim at the flying insect. He obviously disregarded the fact that it was definitely _not_ natural to try and use a T-shirt first thing as a solution for pest control.

Aerith huddled closer behind him, daring only to open an eye to peek at the misadventure unfolding before her. “C’mon, Cloud, kill it!”

“I’m trying!” Cloud huffed, then with one last channel of his energy, had leapt into the air and swung the cloth at the cockroach, flinging the insect out of his open window – unfortunately also flinging his shirt out, both vanishing into the grounds below.

The force of his leaping motion hurtled him back…and had very fortuitously or not, brought an Aerith in fear of the flying insect clutching desperately at his shoulders, down with him, together on his _bed._

His athletic instincts had kicked in sensing they were both falling, but he hadn’t turned around and pushed her away in time to protect her from the fall, and so they had tumbled into _his_ bed together – her landing first on her back into harmless, soft bedsheets, and him pinning his arms atop of her to stop himself from colliding into her petite frame.

When the shock of their fall had all but passed, they opened their eyes, staring blankly into each other.

Cloud gulped. He hadn’t envisioned them falling like this – him now literally pinning her beneath, his elbows by her sides propping him up the only form of resistance separating them from what were mere inches before their noses touched. She was staring at him most astonished at their second most awkward physical situation of the day they had found themselves entangled in.

And they were. Most literally, physically entangled, with their legs intertwined on his bed. Him now lying above her, _half-naked without a damn shirt,_ and her breathing heavily beneath him.

They both looked as equally shellshocked.

Cloud’s elbows began to tire – _dammit, damn them_! Damn his lack of strength- and they finally buckled. His weight sank into hers, and their noses briefly touched for that singular moment frozen in time.

Aerith swallowed, all words lost in her throat, as she grew aware of her palms pressing into the bare skin of his chest – the same masculine chest roped with muscles knotted under his taut skin. Her heart was pounding so furiously, she was certain he could have heard them in the quiet of his bedroom.

She dared a glance at his chest, then at his face. Bad mistake. Her heart leapt to her throat.

Oh my god, why did he have to look so handsome now?

And then before she could rationalize the unthinkable, rationalize the stupid thoughts assailing her senses, she had only the slightest, most subconscious inkling of her fingers skimming the bare skin of his waist, then coming to rest on the back of his spine.

Cloud held his breath. Her fingertips against his back torched him; left burn marks where her delicate touch had sizzled and stayed.

And when she had looked up at him once more, their foreheads now touching as he could no longer bear the weight of his own body but to sink deeper into his bed, _towards_ her, his defenses crumbled. One by one. Certainly, helplessly.

Her scent caught his nose. His blood coursed, incinerating the last of the walls around his heart. 

Ah, logic and brains be damned.

She was beautiful— a masterpiece, right in front of him. In _his_ bed.

And when her arms tentatively snaked around his naked waist, she sent a million tingles rippling across his skin, obliterating all other causes fighting the last stage of his futile battle.

He had lost.

All thoughts fled. He stared at her; at her lips, and he knew she was staring at his, too.

He breathed. Remembered to.

…And then closed his eyes, bent his head, to capture her mouth in his.

**TBC**

* * *

A/N:

YASSS finally after friggin’ 17 chapters! Takes a damn insect to push Clerith into the right direction, at. friggin. last LOL

At this moment if you’re not leaving me a comment/review telling me how much you want this kiss then what is even the point LOL.

C’mon scream at me and tell me how hot you want this!

Myst-san


	18. fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He tried dialling her number several times to no avail. It was useless. 
> 
> Aerith, pick up, please. Where are you? 
> 
> His face sick with worry had turned an ashen white. He could only hope to find her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n:   
> yep you guys waited 18 chapters for this – I decided I might as well raise the scale of the kiss to erm… idk haha at least beyond lukewarm! Whooo I hope it suffices for you guys 😊 
> 
> yep and introducing another Remake xter... one of my faves...*drumroll - Madame M! :) I absolutely loved that glorious hand massage scene in Remake. GRINS.
> 
> and ahem aside from the usual **imma-lazy-no-time-so-no-beta-read chapter warning** , also insert **long chapter warning** oops I have no idea why I wrote so much LOL. 
> 
> myst-san

**\--x chapter 18: fire**

Fire.

So much fire, consuming him.

But such sweet fire it was, licking its flames in the core of his stomach, sending a rush of blood all over his body from the ends of his toes to the corners of his mouth now fastened against hers, plundering endlessly, seeking hers thoroughly. Wanting, craving, so much more from that soft rosiness of her lips.

He had started slow and uncertain at first, his mouth only lightly grazing the sides of her mouth, but when Aerith had made a soft mewling noise in her throat and wrapped her arms around his neck, Cloud had damned all self-control urging him to slow down. His whole body was set aflame with the scent of hers, her sheer floral fragrance driving his blood wild with raging fire.

He could barely think straight; could only feel. When she pulled him closer, her mouth pliant against his, he had elicited an uncharacteristic growl and tangled his hands in her hair, clamping his mouth harder; more urgently against hers.

_He wanted so much more. Wanted this._

Aerith let out a low moaning sound as his mouth worked clever magic against hers, vanquishing her bones, her blood, her soul. His kiss was deep, roaringly hot, and when his body pressed her deeper down into the smooth covers, she found herself yielding to his masculine strength and kissing him back.

When her palms came to rest around his back, her fingers trailing across his bare skin with long, exquisite strokes, a strangled noise started in his throat. So much fire was enveloping him – and kissing her was delightful. Why the hell had he waited so long to do this?

He shuddered, feeling her lips part beneath his. Skin sizzling against skin, heartbeats in sync, his tongue sought hers, and in that brief moment when they touched in the hot cavern of her mouth, all of his senses had reeled and collided together into an explosion of stars. Her trembling lips scorched his terribly, and as their tongues flicked and battled in an ensuing sweet war neither wanted to end, Cloud faintly sensed her fingers digging deeper into his back. He was caressing her silken cheekbones with his palms before he knew it, growing painfully aware of the cumbersome thin fabric of her dress against his naked flesh.

The longer, the gentler her strokes against his back were, the more his mouth plundered into hers with an urgency that sparked fire in her blood. He had woven his fingers into her amber hair that had come loose from her braid, sending her tousled waves fanning around his pillow. The sight of her dishevelled hair drove him wilder, and he claimed her mouth rougher; bolder this time, drinking in every delicious drop she was offering him until the fragrance of her wildflower shampoo drove him to the point of headiness.

_So hot. So hot. Why was it so hot in his bedroom? And he wasn’t even wearing a bloody shirt._

Heat be damned. He could barely use the next second to think before his arms had come around her slender waist, the strength of his fingertips stroking her there until she was whimpering softly beneath him – the sounds of which sent him closer to the brink of losing control.

And fuck, fuck that his pants was feeling a lot tighter, and it was getting harder to stop his hands from roaming further down her hips to skim the tight curves of her bottom.

She was shivering beneath him, no doubt of his desire with the physical evidence pressed against her thigh. She was sighing in between his kisses; beneath his mouth branding hers with his own sensuous spell. Excitement, heat and need mixed with something far more dangerous weaved through both of their bodies, intermingling with their breaths.

Damn, why had he taken this long to kiss her? Time ought to wilt away, Cloud thought dizzily, as he snatched his head up for air and dove down again to meet with her willing mouth, his tongue mating hers and drinking every whimper from her throat. He could hear her erratic pulse against the chaos of his own heart, and when she lifted a hand to comb through his hair, the fevered desire that shot through him snatched another groan deep in his throat.

They were waging a war of heat and desire on _his_ bed, caught up in a maelstrom of emotions so stormy and riotous he could scarcely think. He thrust his tongue boldly into her mouth, and she was restlessly shifting beneath him as if he’d shot an arrow through her.

He was reaching out blindly, reaching out carelessly – for anything. He wanted too much, and it was never enough.

His fingers glided over her shoulders exposed by the scooped bodice of her summer dress, the expanse of her velvet skin scalding him where his torturous touch left heated trails all over her. His quavering thumb brushed over the top button of her dress, seeking what it needed. By which time she was breathing so hotly into his mouth and her fingernails were scratching into his bare shoulders that Cloud only had the vague notion he was about to lose absolute control.

 _No, Strife, no, not any further. You’ve got to stop._ A tiny voice in the back of his head warned him that if he proceeded any further, there would be no turning back. The blood coursing through his entire body had built to a fever pitch, but he still remained every inch the gentleman he was, and it took him a tremendous amount of self-discipline before he had finally reined in the urge to tease the buttons on her dress apart one by one.

His fingers halted its ministrations above the neckline of her dress, barely managing in time to restrain himself. His mouth was still quivering against hers, every muscle along his jaw clenched taut. Against the slant of his hungry mouth devouring hers, her tongue had brushed the underside of his at a sensitive spot, earning a low, primal sound deep from his throat.

 _Shit_ , he wanted more. More than the gentleman in him could ask from her now, and he had better stop; had better control himself now before it was too late—

“Spike, are you awake—FUCK MY LIFE, HAVEN’T YOU GUYS HEARD OF LOCKING THE DAMN FUCKIN’ DOOR!?”

Barret’s thundering voice boomed across the entire bedroom, startling the alarmed couple on Cloud’s bed so badly to jump apart from each other with equally reddening faces blushing the most intense shades of crimson. Both scurried to look away from the big man by the doorframe, the world around them still spinning in dizzying heat.

Oh fuck. _Oh fuck, fuck, fuck._

“Next time,” Barret was bellowing, although he could scarcely contain the cheeky, broad grin on his face, “Use the damn fuckin’ door lock when you guys are making out!”

_Making out._

Cloud and Aerith exchanged glances, taking in the sight of each other’s swollen lips. The colours returned to their cheeks, and as if suddenly regaining some notion of reality at last, Aerith had swiftly bounced off Cloud’s bed, trying to hide the utter embarrassment on her face. Beside her, Cloud cleared his throat, shooting the most intense death glare at the big man smirking by the door.

“Haven’t you heard of knocking!?” He barked at Barret, pushing himself off the bed in a bid to recompose some of his lost coolness.

“I did,” Barret was still grinning that irritating grin that could not be wiped off, “No response, so I had to barge in. Thought Spikey had conked out from fever. My bad, didn’t think you guys would be _that_ engrossed.” 

“Thanks,” Cloud retorted dryly.

“Hope I hadn’t interrupted, Spike,” Barret looked to be struggling not to smirk another time, knowing he was beginning to push his friend’s already popping buttons, “I’ll go now and leave you two lovebirds on your merry lonesome.”

Cloud didn’t miss the cheeky grin on Barret’s face as the big man ran off into the distance. The younger man sighed resignedly - dammit, knowing the big man, he was sure to blab his damn fuckin’ mouth to Cid and Vincent gleefully about him and Aerith. Great. Now the entire house would find out he was on his bed kissing another woman.

Heat flared into his cheeks when he thought of Aerith, and their eyes met across his room.

“Uh…”

“Uh…”

They both blushed. He cleared his throat, and she giggled. 

“I’d better go. I’ve got a class to get to.” She told him, a smile lighting up her face. He noted with a skip of a heartbeat that her mouth was almost a tinge redder; even slightly bruised, from all that kissing. _His_ kissing. And his heart swelled.

“Yep,” he nodded as he followed her to his door. His feet hardly found enough strength not to stumble along the way with all that maddening fire still churning through his veins, “You going to be okay getting there?”

She turned, stopping at the doorway. He hadn’t expected that, and so they had ended up bumping shoulders into each other. He coughed, turning bright red, “S-S’cuse me.”

Her eyes reached his, softening. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry. And you be a good boy for me and rest in bed for another day, okay?”

He nodded, something akin to tenderness washing over his face as he took in her lovely features under the sunshine sifting through his room. “I will.”

They stood like that again – long minutes simply staring into each other, neither bearing to leave.

_Say something, Strife, say something!_

“Uh,” he started thinking about their searing kiss, his eyes seeking his toes interestedly, “Sorry about—”

She had placed a finger against his lips to shush him.

His eyes rounded, looking at her expectantly.

“What,” her tone was light; teasing– there were stars dancing in her eyes, “You don’t like it?”

He shook his head vehemently. “No, no—”

A stellar smile spilled across her lips, “So you _do_ like it.”

He stared at her with mouth agape like the dumb idiot he was, before he had found his voice at last, although it came out unfortunately hoarse, “U-Uh, yeah.”

 _Like it?_ Cloud had never wanted their kiss to end.

And she had stood on tip-toes leaning towards him before he could anticipate the curveball coming, her head tilting into the slant of his jaw. 

“Good,” she breathed against his neck. His skin tingled at the sight of her warm, lush lips closing in.

He closed his eyes, his arms instinctively coming around to encircle around her small waist as he pulled her into his embrace wholly, like it was the most natural thing in the world to do. He savoured the second she planted a soft, tender kiss on his mouth – brief, but sweet and exquisite, nonetheless.

He let out a reluctant growl when he felt her pull away, his strength trapping her within his arms in silent protest. Aerith giggled at his child-like antic, poking an affectionate finger onto his forehead. “Rest well, Cloud.”

“Mm,” he acknowledged, reluctantly releasing her.

She waved, and with one last smile, disappeared from his sight.

Cloud stared after her, his fingers subconsciously resting against the swell of his lips where they had kissed.

He felt the edges of his mouth curl into a smile, his heart fluttering like the lightweight of butterfly wings.

He _really_ needed to consider falling sick more often. 

* * *

Aerith squeezed a hand over her chest.

She could still feel the pounding of her heart – wild and erratic, as if it would explode into a million stars. She had to focus on catching her breaths as her feet tried to remember which way it was back to the music faculty building. Her string quartet rehearsal awaited her this morning, and in spite of all that had happened with Cloud earlier, she didn’t want to be distracted.

Never mind that her heart was longing to be elsewhere… by _his_ side.

Crumbs, when his mouth had found hers – avid, hungry, feasting – it had stirred up sensations within her she hadn’t known existed, and before she could help it, she was already kissing him back with equal fervour. Aerith had never known such greediness until she had felt that surging desire to touch, taste and savour every sweet flavour of his mouth consuming her soul. 

_Focus, Aerith. Focus on your upcoming rehearsal._

She took deep, mindful breaths, trying to ignore the penetrating vision of Cloud in her head, but there was a silly smile she could not wipe off even as she entered the rehearsal room. Aerith decided there and then that her entire world could fall apart; stick and stones could break her bones and toxic words could hurt her, but as long _that_ memory was for hers to keep, it would suffice to cheer her on to face whatever hell may come next. 

Her fingers touched the doorknob, and she stole one last breath to calm her thudding heart before pushing open the door.

“Hey Aerith! Long time no see!” Serah greeted cheerfully behind her music stand, holding up her violin in her arm. 

Aerith smiled brightly. She _had_ missed seeing her friends since last summer.

“Aerith! Been a while!” Rinoa beamed, her viola propped up on a knee.

“If it isn’t our renowned first chair! How’s our lovely Aerith today?” Lunafreya winked at her. 

Aerith’s heart warmed. The ladies had travelled far from their respective cities to gather at Zanarkand University for their first string quartet rehearsal today, and the excitement from all three girls were contagious. It didn’t take long before the group of friends were conversing and chatting gaily like old times, merrily catching up on gossips and music tips until the rehearsal room door swung open, revealing their music specialist tutor from the Gaia World Orchestra specifically sent to coach the quartet girls.

“Morning, ladies,” the older lady with her magnificent black eyes and thick, lustrous matching black hair strode into the room, immediately exuding a sort of confidence and natural charisma. There was a fox-like glint in her eyes, and her jet-black hair shone like the sea at night.

“Morning, Madame M,” the girls waved cheerily. 

Madame M was heralded worldwide as a most respected and famous Concertmistress of her generation – an excellent world-class violinist and a tireless advocate for music education. She had performed on numerous international stages for over thirty years, was regarded far and wide as a violin legend of her time.

“All instruments ready? We’ll do a quick warm-up and then run through some possible repertoires for our first city tour,” Madame M instructed.

Aerith hurried to the back of the rehearsal room where she usually stored her violin overnight for safe keeping if she had practice the following day. To her chagrin, as she lifted the violin and inspected the instrument, she noticed the strings were broken; snapped into two beyond repair.

Alarmed, she examined her instrument closer, and the realization struck.

_Someone had deliberately cut the strings cleanly apart with scissors._

“Aerith, you okay back there?” Madame M called out. 

“I…” Aerith stared at her violin, dumbstruck. The insides of her chest had turned cold, contracting. Her face paled considerably; her skin turned clammy. Never had she felt as if the hollowness sinking into her chest could devastate her this much.

Hurting her with meanness and toxic words was fine – that Aerith could handle. But to disfigure her beloved, precious violin which had been with her since the start of her undergraduate days – that was just plain _cruel,_ and _heartless._

And worst, she noticed the tuning pegs had been scratched at intentionally, leaving indents into the wood. Even the bridge of her violin had split into two.

Right now, her entire violin was as good as useless.

“Aerith? Are you ready, or not?” Madame M questioned impatiently. 

Aerith turned to the older woman, bowing her head apologetically. She frantically made up an excuse blaming her carelessness for having forgotten her violin today, and fabricated a hasty white lie that she would dash back to her apartment on the double to pick it up and return as soon as possible.

Madame M had given her a most disbelieving look as the amber-haired violinist bolted out of the rehearsal room. The older woman looked flummoxed that anyone had dared walked out on her practice even before it had commenced.

Once past the door, Aerith ran, as fast as her legs could take her.

Tears hung at the corner of emerald eyes, but she refused to let them fall. And so they stayed like shimmery shards between her eyelashes as her mind darted like quicksilver for a solution.

Whatever could she do to quickly fix the dire situation? 

She had no spare violin at hand – where to get one? Everyone in the music faculty was either ignoring her lately or had recently turned into a complete stranger, casting her aside. They would be indifferent and unsympathetic to her plight.

_My violin tutor. Nanaki._

She thought of the kind old man who had conscientiously taken her under his instrumental guidance. She _could_ make a run to Nanaki’s house outside campus and back in less than half hour, if she caught a taxi or ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She knew Nanaki – bless that man in his fifties semi-retired from performance music – would spare his pupil an extra violin.

Aerith headed out of campus, her fingers tapping desperately at her phone screen in a bid to hail a taxi. But it was peak morning period in the city, and no drivers were answering her call.

…Which left her the only option to just make the run.

Her fingers hastily pressed for a speed-dial, and a familiar voice greeted her at the receiving end.

“Yo, Aerith! What’s up?” It was Yuffie’s usual chirpy voice.

“Yuffie, please, do me a favour! I need your help.” The tone of urgency underlying Aerith’s voice had caused the younger girl on the line to panic.

Yuffie had known how much Aerith had struggled these past few days on campus, but the latter had pleaded for Yuffie to keep it a secret specifically from Cloud to avoid causing any worry. 

Hearing Aerith’s desperate tone now caused the younger girl to fear the worst over the line. An awful suspicion grew in her that her friend was in some kind of trouble. “Aerith, calm down, what is it? I promise I’ll do my best to help.”

“I’m at my string quartet rehearsal – someone’s destroyed my violin—”

“WHAT!?”

“I’ll explain later, Yuf. Anyway I’m on my way to Nanaki’s house to get a spare violin, but if I don’t make it in time, Madame M is going to banish me from the quartet. Could you turn up at Practice Room 2 for me and just hold them back for thirty minutes? Please don’t let them break prac without me. Just try and buy some time for me, Yuf – I can’t lose this role.” Desperation underlined the amber-haired lady’s voice.

Yuffie understood immediately. “Got it, Aerith! Don’t worry, you get a spare violin – I’ve got your back here! I’ll make sure to hold them until you get back!”

Aerith thanked her friend and hung up.

Casting a quick glance at the campus clocktower signalling she had thirty minutes to try and make it back before Madame M would possibly kick her out of the string quartet, Aerith ran for her life.

* * *

Cloud irritably tossed his Biodiversity textbook onto the bed, his focus on anywhere but completing the required readings for his module. In fact, his brain could scarcely think about anything else aside from the kiss this morning. He dived headfirst into his pillow, his limbs feeling a whole jittery of emotions.

His fingers still itched incredibly to touch her, to comb through her hair falling like an obsidian waterfall tumbling down her shoulders. Even his pillow in his face now smelt of wildflowers; of _her,_ and that fact itself was driving him nearly mental thinking about her.

What was this strange emotion she had stirred in the pit of his stomach?

Cloud couldn’t understand. In his twenty-one years of life, no other woman had caused him to feel this way. He thought of her when she wasn’t by his side and found himself wanting her around all the time. Everytime he looked at her, it was as if space and time had become the finest point imaginable; time collapsing into one tiny speck and exploding at lightspeed. In his world of chaos and darkness, she had become that one stable force he so desperately craved for as an anchor.

Gaia help him – he found himself wanting to hold her, wanting to spend every starry night with her, wanting her to be with no other man but him –

Cloud swallowed.

He…He ought to really consult his housemates about his feelings. That is, if he ever managed to crack the bolts of his own emotions and communicate properly to them.

A notification from his laptop snapped him from his thoughts and Cloud stared at his table lazily. Two days of being stuck in bed had turned his athletic muscles into near mush and in that short span of time he had actually appreciated what little short break he could take from life’s responsibilities, where he wasn’t either focussing on Blitzball or university work. Reluctantly, he flipped open his laptop and logged into his email, carelessly skimming through his inbox. 

The latest unread message that had just come in caught his eye. 

Cloud squinted, making sure his eyes hadn’t deceived him.

 _Rufus?_ Why had Rufus emailed him today of all days? The Captain usually went off-grid after Tournament season, hiking with his wife in nature somewhere or just plain refusing to do anything Blitzball-related and could care less about his team once season was over. Plus, the Raiders were currently on post-Tournament hiatus and weren’t expected to reassemble back in the Sphere for another week. 

Puzzled, Cloud clicked open his email:

_“Hey Strife, I know we just had the conversation the other night at the gala, but I honestly hadn’t expected things to spiral out of control that fast. Hope Aerith’s doing alright. Just a quick touch-base, but I’m sure you’ll deal with it fine._

_Rufus.”_

Cloud’s lips tightened grimly. Uneasiness began to gnaw at his insides.

What…whatever did Rufus mean? _Hope Aerith’s doing alright?_ He had just seen Aerith this morning, had he not? When she had visited him in his apartment – and she had looked perfectly fine.

Cloud re-read Rufus’ message, not quite understanding. Confusion and a sense of dread began to settle in. Rufus’ message had caused an unexpected coldness to seep under his skin. Surely something must have happened to have spurred his Captain to drop his star player an email…but whatever had Rufus meant by things having spiralled out of control? _What exactly had spiralled out of control?_

Cloud tried to recall the conversation with Rufus on gala night, and then as if struck by thunder, he had raced out of his bedroom to find his housemates video-gaming on the couch.

A muscle clenched in his jaw. His entire body was quavering, his breaths coming shallow.

“Barret, where the fuck is my phone!?” Cloud demanded furiously. He had hauled himself into the living room and grabbed the big man by the shirt, forcing the bewildered man to stand up.

“Cloud, what the #@@&*(#@?” Cid had looked up from his video-game. Vincent was the only one who kept his cool, and upon sensing Cloud’s mood had calmly flicked off the TV. The three housemates had expected Cloud’s outburst when he found out the truth eventually, but it had occurred sooner than expected.

“My phone,” Cloud repeated, rage simmering in his tone. His eyes were cold enough that Barret could feel the frostiness of them in his hard glare.

“In the kitchen drawer,” Barret nodded towards the kitchen. No sooner had he produced that information that Cloud had tore into the kitchen to retrieve his phone. His housemates exchanged glances but said nothing, sensing the youngest boy’s building rage.

“You guys fucking lied to me,” His voice was hard and cold, “How could you!? You hid my phone not because you wanted me to get better quick – you guys were hiding something from me.”

Cid approached their housemate who was trembling with a mix of anger and exasperation. “Hey, hey, we just didn’t want to aggravate your condition. You were running a temperature, Spike – what could you have done if you have known?”

“Besides,” Vincent wore a somber look, “Aerith was the one who told us to keep it from you.”

“Why?” Cloud’s fingers were shaking badly as he thumbed through news after news on his phone, a look so frigid now intertwined in those stormy blue eyes. His housemates watched as an array of emotions crossed the young man’s face – anger, disbelief…torment.

“You’re asking us why?” Vincent cocked an eyebrow in disbelief, “Dumb-ass, you think she’d want you to worry about all this when you’re having a fuckin’ fever?”

Flickers of fire blazed in those deep-set, cold blue eyes as the weight of the grim circumstances sunk in. Cloud shut his eyes wearily. He couldn’t read any more of the news – they were doing everything to fuel his already steaming anger and teeter his emotions past the edge of turning berserk. 

Fuck, fuck – how could he had envisioned all of this happening to Aerith?

And she hadn’t asked for any of this.

Rage left a bitter taste in his mouth. In that instance when he had shut his eyes in a futile attempt to block all of reality out, he had faintly felt Barret’s hand on his shoulder, giving it a small squeeze.

“If yer angry about us hiding it from you, Spike, we apologize—”

“No,” Cloud was breathing once more, albeit deeply. He shook his head, “Forget it, Barret. It’s none of your fault.”

“Cloud, if you need anything—” Vincent’s words were cut off by Cloud who had already pivoted on his heels, turning towards the door. 

“I’ll call if I need anything. I have to go,” he finished curtly, and vanished from sight.

* * *

_Aerith. I need to find Aerith._

Cloud single-mindedly sprinted across campus towards the music faculty.

All the anger and worry had brought a swelling to his head, and despite all his efforts to calm the raging monster in him down, Cloud knew it would only take one more push to provoke him and he would explode into a blazing inferno.

Those fuckin’ scumbags in the media. His fists clenched.

Aerith deserved none of that negative attention. Those despicable low-lives had no business in his personal life, much less who he brought to the gala. And calling her a whore? A paid social escort? Spreading those damned rumours that she had probably slept with people in the Blitzball industry to get to be his date?

 _Those worthless dregs._ Fury constricted his chest until he felt almost tempted to land his fist into a wall to channel his rage. Cloud had never felt so much disgust, so much vileness, so much hatred for the anonymity of strangers on the Internet.

Cloud exhaled, pausing to catch his breath.

And he couldn’t believe all this time he had left Aerith alone to fend for herself. How was it that they had just met this morning, _kissed_ in his bed, and she had never mentioned any of the hardships she was facing— all this while only putting that radiant smile on her face as if a permanent fixture in her life? Things hadn’t been rosy for her, yet she had chosen to protect him the truth and take the fall herself.

 _You’re so silly, Aerith,_ his lips tightened, _you’re so goddamn silly if you think I’m going to let you face it all by yourself._

He desperately needed to find her. He was almost there to the music faculty. She had to be there.

“Cloud! Oh my god, it’s really you! Thank fucking God!”

He recognized that shrill voice anywhere. Yuffie.

His anxious heart lurched even more at the urgent look on Yuffie’s face. She was running towards him at such a high speed, they had nearly collided in the hallway.

The young girl was now gripping Cloud tightly, clinging onto him to try and catch her breath. “Cloud, Aerith—Aerith—”

“Slow down,” Cloud urged, and at the frightened look on Yuffie’s face, fear and panic had assailed his senses, “What happened to her, Yuffie?”

“Aerith called an hour ago. Said her violin’s been broken and she’s ran off to her tutor’s house to get a spare. But she hasn’t returned, and I can’t get through to her phone and I don’t know where she is!!!” Yuffie was rambling on desperately, her anxiety causing her to pace up and down.

“Slow down, please, Yuffie,” Cloud dug his fingers into Yuffie’s shoulders, halting her tracks with pleading eyes, “Where is Aerith?”

And Yuffie blabbered everything – she told Cloud all that had happened to Aerith in the last few days. It hadn’t been just the nasty Internet comments and rumours. Things had also gone awry for her in school. Yuffie confided about the spate of bullying incidents – Aerith’s music sheets torn apart, her assignments stolen, her locker infested, and now this: her violin being damaged deliberately beyond repair.

In the time that had elapsed since Yuffie’s explanation, Cloud’s face had turned considerably pale. He was now trembling with a newfound fear clamming his heart.

“What do you mean you don’t know where she is?” He demanded.

Yuffie’s face bore a combination of desperation and sick worry, “Like I said, I don’t know, Cloud. She said over the phone she would return to the rehearsal room in thirty minutes, but it’s been over an hour now, and she hasn’t come back. She didn’t want to piss Madame M off, so she told me to try and hold the rehearsal back while she tries to get another spare violin.” 

“So she’s gone to her violin tutor’s home?” Cloud pressed, desperation leaking in his voice. His eyes had darkened to the colour of liquid blue, washed out against the frigid paleness of his face. He recalled the second time he’d met Aerith – outside the Colosseum when she had been on the way back from her violin tutor’s home and he had shielded her from the downpour with an umbrella over her head.

“Yes, his name is Nanaki, a kind old man who lives near the Sphere.”

“I roughly know where it is,” Cloud was already turning on his heels, “Can you ping the address to my phone, Yuffie?”

“Got it.”

“I’m going to go look for her. You stay here in case Aerith returns. Call me if you get anything.”

“Got it, Cloud, please find her!” Yuffie’s desperate voice cried out.

Adrenaline was flooding into his system as he sprinted out of campus. Something foreign, something akin to _fear_ , had begun to claim his senses completely. Cloud had grown up never knowing what fear could feel like. He was barely frightened of anything – heights, perhaps, or more so losing an important Blitzball game when high expectations weighed on his shoulders.

But this sort of fear was different. It was consuming him now with pain – blinding him, drowning him, whipping at him, until his mind was truly tortured in the shackles of primal worry and anxiety. Self-control be damned.

If anything happened to Aerith –

He couldn’t bear to entertain the thought. The fact alone that she had endured enough on her own in the past few days was enough to drive him mental that he had not been there to protect her. God, he had never felt so useless in his life.

His limbs nearly burst from the explosion of speed; his muscles aching to give up. But Cloud willed himself to keep going. He _had_ to find her.

He tried dialling for her number several times to no avail.

_Aerith, pick up, please. Where are you?_

He had balled his fists so tightly, his knuckles had whitened. His face sick with worry had turned an ashen white.

He could only hope to find her.

He could no longer imagine his universe without her in it – he would be that hopeless, lost star in an even hopelessly dark galaxy.

For the first time, Cloud called on hope to work its miracle.

**TBC**

* * *

a/n:

ack I wonder indeed where is Aerith? Nuu sorry writing suspense/drama is a lot trickier than I thought haha.

Anyhow, let’s cheer on Cloud to find Aerith wherever she is! Go, Cloud!! *waves poms poms

Oh btw I hadn’t meant to make Nanaki/Red XIII human – but hey who says you can’t be reincarnated in another lifeform in your next life lol.

Review/comment – you know you wanna know what happens next! ^^

Myst-san


	19. knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If anything happens to her…   
> He couldn’t bear to entertain the thought.   
> And she calls you her prince charming, he thought bitterly, when you can’t even do something as protect her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: 
> 
> insert usual **no-beta-read-no-time-imma-lazy disclaimer** LOL   
> and yep Scarlet’s plot continues to hatch and thicken! Gahhh.. 
> 
> myst-san

**\--x chapter 19: knight**

Scarlet lurked in the shadows of the hallway, holding her breath.

A triumphant smirk lifted her mouth when she heard the door to the rehearsal room open. She glimpsed Madame M and the other members of the string quartet exiting, and once sensing it was safe to make her presence known, she silently gave chase to the adjudicator behind.

She knew she had best put on a nonchalant air, lest she would no doubt blow her own cover. Once she gauged herself to be within earshot of Madame M, Scarlet cleared her throat. There was a glint in her eyes that matched the bright false smile plastered onto her expression.

“Morning, you must be Madame M – the prestigious adjudicator and semi-retired violinist from Gaia World Orchestra,” Scarlet enthused, incorporating as much awe and admiration in her tone as possible.

Madame M spun around, studying the lady dressed in magenta red before her curiously. “Yes, and you must be?”

“Oh pardon me,” Scarlet held out a hand, “Scarlet. I’m the assistant Concertmistress to the university orchestra here.”

“And how can I help you?”

“Oh no, just happened to pass you by. I’m such a big fan, Madame M,” Scarlet raved, “I heard you’re in town coaching the string quartet group. Isn’t there supposed to be a rehearsal now?” Scarlet pretended to look around for the rehearsal room that Madame M had just made her exit.

“Yes,” the older woman nodded, “But it was cut short.”

“Oh, how awful,” Scarlet feigned shock on her face, covering a palm against her mouth, “Whatever happened?”

Madame M sighed, “Just one of the ladies forgetting her violin.”

“Oh Gaia, how careless of her,” Scarlet shook her head ruefully, “So what’s to be done about the rehearsal then?”

“She didn’t turn up. We’ve decided to postpone it.”

“Really?” Scarlet cocked an eyebrow, trying not to let her exuberant spirits show, “There’s really kind of you, Madame M. A professional musician would know missing out on even a single practice would get themselves kicked out of the orchestra.”

Madame M placed a hand to her chin thoughtfully, “Well, the poor girl Aerith did honestly look distressed, though.”

“Aerith! Why, she is my friend,” Scarlet gasped in disbelief, then continued, “But even then surely you’re too kind for a renowned adjudicator as you are. Can it be said the same if she misses out the next practice? I’m sure Madame M – you know better of all people that that’s against the normal protocol and expectations of professional musicians.”

“IF she misses the next one, I guess the adjudicators will have to reconsider her commitment, but that’s not anything of your business,” Madame M now wore a strange look on her face at Scarlet’s words.

“Oh, I beg your pardon,” Scarlet shook her head vehemently, “I was being rude to pry. But of course, I’m sure the Gaia World Orchestra will adhere to the normal code of conduct– that a musician will be asked to leave permanently if she misses a second practice in a row, yes?”

Madame M nodded slowly, “But of course. We at the Gaia World Orchestra take the conduct of our professional musicians seriously. It is why our standard over the years have never diminished.”

“That’s good to know. So,” Scarlet’s eyes oozed a sudden gleam, “No exceptions? I apologize, but Aerith is one of my best friends, and I just want to clarify on her behalf that no harm will come to her position secured in the string quartet group if she fails to turn up for the next rehearsal.”

Madame M frowned, “IF Aerith misses the next rehearsal, my responsibility calls to have her stripped from the quartet. No exceptions, unfortunately. You might wish to relay that information to her.”

Scarlet brightened with a charming smile, “But of course, Madame M. I will be sure to remind Aerith not to miss the next practice. That will undoubtedly save you the trouble of having to re-audition for _her_ role if she gets booted out, right?”

“Oh, we won’t re-audition. No time,” Madame M waved a hand, “We’ll just take in the next violinist in the waiting list to take up that position.”

 _Which happens to me,_ Scarlet thought gaily. “But of course, Madame M, how silly I am to think otherwise. I’ll definitely make sure Aerith attends the next rehearsal.”

“She’d better,” A rare genuine smile broke through on Madame M’s expression, “I’ve heard her perform a couple of times. She’s too amazing a violinist to slip through our fingers.”

At those words, a malicious look clouded Scarlet’s features, accompanied by a frown. “Is that so.”

Scarlet wasn’t ready to hear more of anyone complimenting the amber-haired violinist. She had heard what she needed to hear. She waved a hand, bidding farewell to the adjudicator, “Good day, Madame M! I’ll convey the information to Aerith! She’ll turn up for next prac, you’ll see.”

As Madame M disappeared round the corner, the frown on Scarlet’s lips upturned into a vile smirk. Once the older woman was out of earshot, Scarlet let out a hateful sneer.

_Oh, I’ll get Aerith to turn up for next prac, alright... In her sweetest dreams, no doubt. She’ll be kicked out of the string quartet in no time._

_Then it’ll be my turn to claim the stage and shine._

* * *

Cloud ran, and ran. 

Fear gripped him like a vice, unrelenting in its clutch around every vein of his heart. He had never known such fear paralyzing every muscle in his body – and it didn’t help that his legs weighed like a ton of lead that required a painful amount of effort to keep them moving like mindless cogs in a wheel.

His brains had ceased to think long ago, worry and anxiety all at once banishing all other logical strains of thought in his mind. With every step he took, with every second that passed where he couldn’t imagine where Aerith could be, fear tormented him until his lungs could scarcely function.

_Where is she!?_

His body shook with rising panic. Each time he stopped in his tracks to catch his breath, his entire body racked with shivers that almost unmanned him. _I have to find her._

But he had tried searching everywhere – he had ran the entire distance of the usual route Aerith normally took from campus to get to her violin lesson. He had barged into Nanaki’s house, almost knocking the front door over, demanding where Aerith was. The middle-aged man with the kind face had looked stunned – no fault of his.

_“Aerith?” Nanaki shook her head. “She did drop by about more than half hour ago asking to borrow a spare violin, but I told her today’s not a good day – I’ve none left to spare. They’ve all been borrowed by request of the university orchestra’s assistant Concertmistress. Although I thought it strange – they don’t normally need so many violins but well, I’m not complaining since they’re paying me rental fees, anyway—”_

_Cloud had nearly shaken the man to stop him from babbling on, “So where is she!?”_

_“I…don’t know,” Nanaki admitted, shaking his head, “She left, disappointed, and ran off. That was the last I saw of Aerith. Is something the matter?”_

And Cloud had wordlessly slammed the door shut after him. If he had more sense in him in that moment, he would had felt slightly apologetic for Nanaki whom had unfortunately became the brunt of his anguish, but Cloud had been too caught up in his own panic to care. All he needed to know was where Aerith went after leaving Nanaki’s house.

She was most likely nearby. She couldn’t have gone far in thirty minutes.

Cloud covered the distance half-way back to campus, casting his sight fervently around like a man on a mission trying to look for a needle in a haystack. This was not the best place to look for someone – it was all forests and shrubs and canopies of pine trees and just a long pavement that linked up the campus to the residential houses beyond where Nanaki lived. There was no other visible landmark in sight known to interest any man.

 _Aerith, where are you?_ He blearily thought. He brought his phone to his ears in a bid to dial through to her again. No answer, for the umpteenth times. He’d lost count.

He stood beneath the steel-gray sky, letting the cold summer breeze wash over him, numbing his cold fingers, frosting over the pressure inside his lungs. He drank in the silence surrounding him like liquor, letting the dread coil in his stomach like the rippling of a snake preying on his senses.

He could envision nothing but _her –_ and the thought of not knowing where she was scared the hell out of him.

_If anything happens to her…_

He couldn’t bear to entertain the thought. He was _this_ close, _this_ close to punching his fists into the earth beneath him in anguish. Each time he thought back to the bullying incidents Yuffie had related to him earlier, his blood boiled like an uncontrollable tempest when he imagined Aerith _hurt_ by the lowest, despicable means…and he had not been around for her. 

_And she calls you her prince charming,_ he thought bitterly, _when you can’t even do something as protect her._

When he found out who was behind all of this, Cloud swore they would get their just deserts. He would see to that.

But for now –

His piercing blue eyes raked the nature that stood in its quiet wilderness before him. Desperation leaked into his expression, and with it an underlayer of turmoil.

There was only one way from the campus to Nanaki’s house…Unless she had taken another way less travelled?

Something clicked in Cloud’s mind, and he remembered the Sphere. He remembered their second encounter when Aerith had bumped into him while taking a detour from her normal route. And then they had afterwards taken shelter at the nearby bus-stop together whilst sharing an umbrella.

Adrenaline pumped into his blood. The veins in his forehead bulged with trepidation.

Hell – she’d better be somewhere there.

His legs took off, as fast as they could glide over fallen pine leaves, over the cement of the pavement that eventually ended and beckoned to a less-trodden path barely visible in the shadows of the sunshine now eclipsed by the tall trees. In the corner of his eyes, he could make out the silhouette of the Sphere.

Here was the detour she had taken the other day…

The imagery of their second encounter by the Sphere – her looking up at him with those ravishing, innocent eyes with the kindest face he’d ever met while watching her frantically sort out her wet mush of sheet music in the rain as he held an umbrella over her – it fleeted through his memory, and stung him harder in the heart than he had anticipated.

Back then, had he known how much she would have meant to him? Not by a mile.

Not even when she had taken his hand, literally disarmed him with her stellar smile, and raced him back to the campus.

“Aerith!” He shouted to the winds, hoping for an answer.

The leaves of the pine tree blew down in speckles of orange, red and yellow, breaking delicately off and fluttering down to earth like a colourful rain. But none of it hinted of her presence anywhere.

“Aerith!” His beseeching, desperate voice rang out.

As he gave up searching around the Sphere and made his way to the bus-stop where they had stood and waited for the bus together in the rain a long time back (Cloud couldn’t fathom how distant, how nostalgic, how bittersweet the memory seemed now), his pounding heart carried his feet forth onwards in their sprint.

_Please be there. Please be there._

The falling leaves fluttered down, sparse in the cool summer air. Amidst the feast of colours it created in his eyes, Cloud could at last make out a distinct shade of amber almost camouflaged behind. 

His breath hitched in his throat.

That shade of amber hair – he could never miss it.

“Aerith!!” He was sprinting so hard, his lungs could barely catch breath as he thundered into the bus stop.

He could make out her silhouette now – her petite frame turned away from him as she stood under the bus-stop, her dishevelled hair tumbling out of her braid loosely around her back, the hems of her summer skirt gliding behind her with the flow of mid-day zephyrs, and that slender waist he had slid his arms around like a hypnotized man more than once.

_Aerith, please tell me it’s you._

His heart was in his throat, hammering with anticipation. He prayed what he saw hadn’t been but a cruel mirage.

“Aerith!” He called again, hurling himself into the bus stop.

And she turned – and Gaia did she turned to look at him, startled, with the same set of alluring emerald eyes that had flipped his heart over a thousand times, with the same eyelids fluttering like butterfly wings that had drawn him helplessly to her nectar, with the same face he had looked into a million times over and never be tired of.

“C-Cloud?” Aerith blurted out, surprise running amok in her eyes.

As he sprinted towards her, closing their distance, he noticed with dread that she was covered in grime and gravel. It was if she had been drenched completely in water and dirt – her hair matted to the sides of her forehead and her summer dress clung onto her now like sheer second skin. She looked entirely soaked through, reminiscent of their second encounter where they had raced each other under the rain. Except this time, there was an unmistakable tinge of fear and terror in her eyes that broke his heart.

Cloud never knew relief could hit him like this. But seeing her before his eyes, breathing and alive, was the last straw, and it did. The sharp, enormous relief that crashed into him like a tidal wave overcame all his senses, ebbing away what little remained of his logical thoughts. His shoulders sagged with the immense weight being lifted, and the panic-stricken look in his face considerably subsided…

…and when she took a single step towards him giving him the most curious, surprised look, lifting a finger to touch his cheek, every resolve within him broke like a dam.

He hauled her to him, his arms enveloping her in his tight embrace. He heard her startled intake of breath, but he didn’t care. Relief had washed over him like the most soothing of rain, and he only knew he needed to hold her, to convince himself that this was all real. That _she_ was real.

And so he held her in his arms, his palms pressed against the small of her back as their bodies melded under the light of the afternoon glowing above. He buried his face in her neck, savouring once more her wildflower fragrance that invoked in him everything familiar and… _homely,_ and simply let himself drown in the sounds of her heart beating fast against his chest.

“C-Cloud?” She whispered into his strong chest. Although confused at his sudden show of affection, she had leant endearingly into his arms. Aerith took in all at once the smell of chlorine and cinder – just the way she remembered him, and the comfort and security that his warmth now provided her splintered her soul into a million fragments.

She closed her eyes, memorizing his scent. With all of that awful things that had unfolded in her life recently, being cast aside into the loneliest abyss she could imagine, she was contented being held like _this_.

His arms still around her, he finally raised his head to study her intently. Aerith noticed the fistfuls of fear that wrecked his tormented eyes, and she held him tighter, wanting to make it all evaporate.

“Are you hurt, Aerith?” His voice came out more like a croak as he examined her thoroughly in the circle of his arms, “Where have you been?”

She flushed under his gaze. It wasn’t a good time to catch her in sight – she was covered in dirt all over and drenched completely. She looked even worse the second time they had met under the pouring Zanarkand rain.

“Why—” his lips turned dry as he then spotted her shoes – or lack thereof. They were missing. She had been barefoot all this while, and there were velvety trickles of blood and grime all over her ankles and toes. Something akin to anguish and fury lashed out in his eyes as his fingers gripped her more firmly, more desperately, “Why are you barefoot, Aerith? And why are you covered all over in…”

He trailed off, noticing the embarrassed colours suffused on her lovely cheeks. She had dipped her gaze to her bare toes, as if aghast that Cloud had caught her in a most distressing state.

More gently this time, he placed a finger beneath her chin, tilting her head up to meet his searching gaze.

“Aerith?” He tried again, keeping his voice low.

 _Talk to me, Aerith. Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix this._ Frustration was mounting within him.

“I…I…” She tried to find the words to no avail, as if still trying to make out the last few moments she had gone through in the phase of shock. Her eyes acquired a faraway glazed look as her thoughts drifted back to a time earlier before he had found her at the bus stop.

At the way she had looked so vulnerable and _scared_ , he found the last of his defenses crumbling.

He wordlessly slid his arms around her tiny waist and pressed her closer to his sturdy frame.

“I’m here now,” he reassured her, his words a gentle balm against her ears, “Everything’s fine.”

“I know,” she choked out at last, pressing her forehead into his shoulder, shutting her eyes. “Sorry, I must look horrible.”

“No, you don’t,” he argued honestly. 

Somehow in spite of the circumstances, she was laughing ruefully into his chest. She drew away enough to look into his wildly worried eyes, and the sight of them squeezed her heart that he had cared enough to look for her.

“Liar,” she replied. Despite the mess she looked, a faint smile had paved way onto her face, “I’m covered in gravel and grime, Cloud. I look a mess, and now I’ve made you all dirty—”

“No, it doesn’t matter, Aerith. Tell me what happened.” He pressed.

She drew a slow sigh, touching a delicate finger to the fabric of his shirt now smudged with her dirt stains. She stared at his shirt all muddied by her doing, and her heart clenched. Had he been looking for her? Had he ran out of campus searching for her?

Suddenly touched, her face softened for the man in front of her.

“I was at string quartet practice when my violin got tampered with,” she shook her head, “I don’t know how, but the damage’s done. The only place I know that might spare me another violin is at my violin tutor’s house, so I ran to look for Nanaki to see if I could borrow another…”

“And?”

“He told me he hadn’t any more to spare, which is odd because he usually has a ton of them sitting idle in his house. Anyhow I had made a trip in vain so I was about to call for a taxi back to campus when…” Aerith looked down at her bare feet, wiggling her naked toes covered in dirt and blood, “when I found out that someone had stolen my shoes outside of Nanaki’s house—”

“Someone stole your shoes?” An incredulous look supplanted Cloud’s face.

Aerith laughed. The incredulity of it all suddenly hit her and she couldn’t help it. “I know – it all sounds very silly. But yes, my shoes were gone where I had placed them outside. Doesn’t matter. I couldn’t get a taxi – my phone was flat. So I had to make a run back…”

The thought of Aerith running barefoot on that damned cement littered with pebbles and hard rocks and random sharp objects leaving her feet all bloodied had damned well tore into Cloud’s heart.

“But,” she continued, “I didn’t make it very far when two strangers emptied buckets of dirty water at me.” She looked embarrassed, recalling the humiliating experience earlier when the buckets of the grossest contents had rained down on her like she had been nothing more than an inanimate sack. “They were masked. I didn’t get a look at their faces, unfortunately.”

Something twisted in Cloud’s gut. It would take him very much to not murder whoever these masked strangers were.

“And I was anxious that if I went back the same way I came from, more of them would be out there waiting and looking for me, so I took a detour back to campus just in case—” She explained.

“So that’s how you ended up here at the bus stop where I found you?” An intense look clouded his face. His eyes had darkened to a vivid electrifying blue.

She shot him a dazzling smile, one that seared through his heart and cast away the grime and gravel away from her face as if they existed no more. She held so much magic in her smile, Cloud thought she needed no fancy dresses nor frivolous adornments to look every inch an angel heaven-sent. Didn’t matter even if she was covered every inch in dirt.

“Yep, and you found me,” she beamed.

He held her instinctively closer, breathing into her neck as she murmured into his jaw. “ _My hero.”_

“Unfortunately, not one in time,” he replied gravely, a grim look on his face. 

“But you came for me – that’s all that matters, right?” Her eyes held his – binding all the cosmic stars and celeste glares in his universe together, and he could not for a second look away.

Above them, a rumble of thunder sounded.

“We’ve better go.” He unzipped his hooded jacket and placed it around her shoulders, ignoring her stubborn protests, sending a hard look her way to silence her. “I’m taking you home.”

His heart ached – for something more than the reason she had suffered and he hadn’t been there in time.

She smiled as she eyed his number-twenty Raiders jacket familiarly settling around her shoulders, “Thank you.”

 _You idiot, let’s just get you home._ He wordlessly intertwined his fingers around hers and clasped them firmly to his side. No way in hell he was letting her go after so much effort.

She was looking at their locked hands like they were the most magical thing in the world.

“Can you walk?” He asked.

“Huh?” She looked up, as if still dazed that he had taken her hand in his.

“I asked, can you walk?” A small smirk curved his mouth. He was beginning to enjoy this new effect he was having on her.

She spotted his slight triumph, and swatted at his shoulder lightly, “Yes, Mister. Any more silly questions?”

He stared at her bare, bloodied feet and grimaced. He would see to it that he sent her straight to the infirmary the moment they got back to campus.

Skywards, the thunder roared.

Cloud turned on his feet, and hand in hand, pulled her alongside him, starting up in a quick stride back to campus before the heavens could rain down on them. No sooner had he moved a couple of steps when he heard her inhale sharply by his side.

He stopped abruptly, whirling around to see her shuffle uncomfortably on her feet.

His eyes fell on her foot – at the awkward angle that her ankle seemed to be in place. Realization struck him like a bolt.

 _Fuck, I’m such an idiot,_ he thought.

“Cloud,” Aerith had hastily spoken, trying to cover up her weakness, “it’s nothing. I can walk. I’m just not used to being barefoot on the ground.”

And as if to prove her point, she had lifted her foot, preparing to trudge ahead of him. All this while she bit down hard on her lips to suppress her pained expression.

“W-Wha, Cloud—” She hadn’t even the time to draw breath when she had felt herself being lifted off the ground, into _his_ arms.

Her eyes widened, the bewilderment apparent on her face.

Cloud had carried her into his arms, sweeping her up to his chest like she weighed no more than a feather, his strength cradling the back of her knees and neck, holding her like an infant.

“Cloud,” she could hardly contain her shellshocked voice, “what are you doing? Put me down, I can walk—”

“The hell you can,” he replied curtly. He was an athlete who had seen the worst of injuries in his career. He could spot a sprained ankle from a yard away.

“I’ll be fine,” she insisted, struggling to break free from his arms. Hot colours had risen to her cheeks rosy with pink. It was hard to free herself from his iron grip.

“This is not a time to be stubborn, Aerith,” he warned, sounding resolutely adamant that she had better not argue. He was already trudging ahead with steady strides as if she weighed nothing to him.

Aerith fell silent as she watched his quiet face. Up close and this personal, she marvelled at the intensity in his eyes, the chiselled jaw of his glinting hardness into the sunlight, the masculine contours of his face that shone with steel strength. Yet in spite of his hardened, cool expression, there was a gentle vitality to his aura; an utmost chivalry that even his bravado could not mask.

And he looked so magnificently handsome holding her like this, Aerith had to hide a smile into the nape of his neck, barely managing to suppress a giggle that had frothed her lips.

“What’s so funny?” He asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Nothing,” she shook her head. He tried to ignore her hair tickling his nose, although he _had_ missed that exquisite feeling. So he chose to keep a poker face on and stared hard ahead instead, trying not to be distracted by her bloody alluring scent.

“Hn,” he rolled his eyes.

“Just thought,” there was an uplifting tone to her voice, and his heart ignited with anticipating sparks whenever he sensed she was trying to throw another flirtatious curveball at him. _Not now, dammit_ , he thought – he had best focus on bringing her back safely. She continued innocently, “Just thought you look very handsome this angle.”

He flushed under her penetrating gaze.

“Aerith,” he warned, trying to keep his tone cool.

“Oh, you, I was trying to compliment you, you know. You look every inch a hero,” she teased, “ _My_ hero.” And she couldn’t help it. She had touched a fingertip to his earlobe, grazing it with the briefest of second.

His knees nearly buckled from that scorching touch.

_Dammit, Aerith, stop friggin’ distracting me. This is not a bloody good time if you send me with you in a heap to the ground._

“You’re killing me,” he deadpanned, and tried to shut her out as best as he could. It was hard – he could still feel her regarding him like he was her hero and knight in shiny armour. He hoped his nerves wouldn’t betray him and send his wobbly knees crashing both of them down at once.

“You always say that,” she stuck out her tongue.

 _Because it’s true. You’re impossible._ He thought wryly, and snuck a downwards glance at her. He caught his breath. _And impossibly beautiful, too._

How the hell did she look so enticing even in gravel and grime?

“We’re almost there. Hang on,” he told her, his voice a safe blanket that allayed all her previous fears.

She could see Zanarkand University peeking out from the horizon from where they were.

He sensed her turning frigid in his arms. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

She was hiding her face, burying it into his neck, “I…I don’t think I should be seen with you now, not especially like this.”

At her words, he went deathly still.

She continued in a muffled whisper against the fabric of his shirt, “I don’t want them to say anything awful about you, just because you’re with me.” She was referring to the nasty rumours and negative publicity lately about her.

He was quick to interrupt, “Aerith, I haven’t apologize for—”

“For what?” She shot him a genuinely confused, earnest look, “For bringing me to the gala?”

He nodded soberly, “I haven’t thought through the consequences at that time of the repercussions it could have brought you.”

She eyed him intently, “Do you have any regrets? Bringing me?”

He didn’t need a second to hesitate. “None.”

“Good,” she murmured, a smile gracing her lips, “I don’t regret anything, too. Honestly, Cloud.”

For some reason, her words had meant more to him than he had anticipated, acting as a balm over his anxious and panic-stricken heart that had endured one too many shocks from the entire day’s events.

He drew his shoulders more determinedly about him as he continued to hold her firmly in his arms. His eyes held a new, invigorated look that stunned even the girl before him, who was beginning to hide her face with a hand as they entered the university entrance.

Their awkward situation – him carrying her like he was holding an infant – was attracting attention from the campus onlookers casting curious glances at them. Some had whipped out their phones to snap pictures. Others were conversing fervidly in cliques, engaged in some kind of gossip.

“Then do me a favour, Aerith,” Cloud spoke lowly to her ears. He was finding his way to the infirmary, his gaze affixed in front of him and nothing else. He could care less about the whole university looking their way.

“What?”

“Don’t hide your face behind your hand,” he told her, “There’s nothing to hide.”

At his words, she looked up at Cloud with wonder in her eyes.

He obviously didn’t care anything about the media, the paparazzi, the publicity, the fans.

As if held magnetized by his strength and assurance in the blanket of his warmth, Aerith nodded, still conscious of the strange attention they had garnered along the way as he carried her to the university infirmary.

“Are you sure?” She breathed.

“A hundred percent,” he reassured.

She was only all too aware of the unmistakable smile that had curved his lips – and that was all the grace she needed, before she pressed her cheek closer to his neck, hiding the smile, too, spilling across her face.

**TBC**

* * *

OMG

HOW IS CLOUD SO SWEET ACKKK

anybody else recognized the "But you came for me – that’s all that matters" line from FF:AC? Sobs that line wrecks the soul of me. 

And I promise he will figure out his feelings soon. Very soon ^^ At this point he’d be too dense not to * winks

Review/comment – you know you wanna tell me how Cloud being the gentleman gave you cavities and a trip to the dentist LOL

Myst-san


	20. heartbeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aerith had changed into his T-shirt, and that was all she was literally wearing now – his shirt fitting her like an oversized top that barely reached her thighs.  
> It hit Cloud with mortification that she probably wasn’t wearing anything else beneath except…  
> Ah, shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: 
> 
> would LOOOVE to share this amazing Clerith fanart from one of my readers. It’s **CLERITH <3 ** and it made me squeal when the talented @KCHuangArt showed it to me. She drew it in regards to this fic Stars Rewritten, feat. Cloud in his Zanarkand Raiders T-shirt while holding a barefooted Aerith’s hand, with Cloud’s number twenty Raiders’ jacket sitting on her shoulders. 
> 
> https://kchuangart.tumblr.com/post/631938521871056896/stars-rewritten-by-the-cute-and-amazing-mysteriol
> 
> OKAY COPY/PASTE LINK ABOVE, OGLE, THEN EVERYBODY SQUEAL WITH ME. ^_^
> 
> KCHuangArt-san, if you are reading this, you are so frickin’ talented, and YOU ARE LOVED TO THE MOON AND BACK. 
> 
> myst-san

**\--x chapter 20: heartbeat**

“I just find it incredibly suspicious,” Cid stroked his stub, looking deep in thought. Around him on the living room sofa, a group of people had gathered, speaking in hushed tones to avoid disturbing the amber-haired lady being tended to by Lucrecia in the bedroom.

“You and me both,” Vincent nodded, leaning back into the plush pillow. The muscles of his forehead clenched in tension, “Some things don’t quite add up. All the bullying incidents that Yuffie has described so far – they seem to have mostly occurred on campus, within the confines of the music faculty…” 

“Except for the nasty Internet, that’s for sure,” Yuffie perked up in her seat, pointing out the glaring discrepancy.

“So let’s assume for now that the culprit lurks around the music faculty…” Vincent surmised, his mind searching for possible scenarios, “And this person knows exactly which locker belongs to Aerith, where she keeps her violin and music, down to the exact details of the music assignment she’s been working on…” He trailed off, letting bits and pieces fall into place naturally.

A deadened silence entombed the apartment.

Barret was the first to break it, smashing a heavy fist into the ceiling next to him. The blow landed a small dent into the cement, but the big guy gave no qualms about the damage dealt to the poor brick. “Dammit!” He cursed, “Those idiots better not ever waylay my path lest I destroy every single one of them with an uppercut and hook!”

“Barret,” Cloud sent a glare in Barret’s way to warn him to keep his volume down – he didn’t want to wake Aerith resting in his bedroom at the moment.

“Sorry man,” Barret slumped into the sofa next to Cid, “But I ain’t going to show these bastards any mercy if I find out who they are.”

Cid lifted his chin thoughtfully, sounding his thoughts aloud, “Y’know, this person obviously knows Aerith’s schedule very well. Where and what time she has her string quartet rehearsal, where she goes for her violin lesson outside campus…Seems to be able to predict her every move…”

“Someone close to Aerith,” Vincent agreed, exchanging a nod with Cid.

Cloud exhaled, his fingers digging into the pillow he hugged to his chest, “But that’s what I can’t understand – why?”

“Hmm, how about the plain old green-eyed monster?” Yuffie suggested, “Jealousy. Envy. This person is simply frickin’ jealous Aerith has got all the talents that he or she doesn’t. And if I’m to make a wild guess, it’s a _she._ ”

“That makes the most sense, actually,” Vincent added as an afterthought, “Yuffie might have a point.”

“But why wait till now?” Cloud pondered almost too himself.

“What has changed recently?” Cid thought aloud. Then as if suddenly struck by a rush of adrenaline surging through his bones, his eyes acquired a light not dissimilar to the ones that had flickered in Yuffie’s. Their thoughts were on the same wavelength.

“Oh,” Yuffie stood up in excitement, as if she had remembered something, “Aerith’s recently got the best news that she’s got into the string quartet the Gaia World Orchestra was planning to debut to the world. It’s a huuuuge thing for musicians because it grants them a world stage and tour across many cities, and—”

Vincent sat up from his seat, as if it had all come together now, “So this person is trying to ruin Aerith and get her removed from the string quartet group?”

“That’s why that loser tried to destroy Aerith’s violin and music and did everything to stress her out prior to the first rehearsal!” Yuffie screeched, then covered her mouth guiltily with her clasped hands when she remembered Aerith was still resting inside.

A hard glint settled in Cloud’s eyes. “But how is this all related to the Internet rumours? And why has this all happened after the gala night especially?”

“I’d like to think, Spike,” Cid looked at the younger boy gravely, “That you bringing Aerith to the gala was the catalyst for everything else.”

“I can see it now,” Yuffie pumped her fists onto the table. Her eyes were alit with tiny embers glowing into the bedroom shadows, “Said culprit has long got a crush on Strife- let’s put a distant fangirl in the university, or to be more specific, in the music faculty. Then same idiot gets pissed seeing those photos, and what’s worse is that she’s been intensely jealous all this while of Aerith. The final blow comes the next day when she learns that not only Strife’s taken Aerith as a gala date, but the string quartet limelight’s also gone to Aerith.”

A stretch of understanding silence blanketed across the black wisps of night in the apartment as the occupants digested the morsels of information.

“It is…highly possible,” Vincent finally admitted, “But how can one person be responsible for all this chain of events?”

“Oh che, that’s easy,” Yuffie gave a casual flick of her hand, “One can find accomplices and support in any fanclubs these days. I’ll know that as president of Reno’s biggest fanclub. Take for example, if anyone’s hurting my Reno, all I have to do is rally enough supporters in the online forums or social media who are equally upset like me, to all gang up together to weed out that unfortunate person, and voila! All it takes is someone to light a spark, and the fire follows.”

“You girls and your stupid fanclubs,” Barret muttered under his breath, “That’s just another euphemism and an excuse for bullying someone.”

“Hey!” Yuffie stuck out her tongue, “Unlike this big bully, we don’t do toxicity in Reno’s fanbases! Can’t say the same for Strife, though. His fangirls are legit the craziest sort. I’ll wager a bet that he and Aerith just pissed off a superfan, and all she had to do was rally enough people to post all those toxic comments on the Internet.”

Cloud arched Yuffie an eyebrow, “That’s it? That’s enough to rally common fans against someone else?”

“These days that’s really all you need to start cyber-bullying someone, sadly,” Yuffie shrugged her shoulders, “An enemy of my enemy is my friend. It’s easy for anyone to gain allies on the Internet nowadays. You know what they say – hiding behind the Internet in anonymity gives one more courage to verbal vomit all the venomous words they’ve ever wanted to spit out. In real life, they’re all just fucking cowards in your face.”

The men in the room exchanged glances and shook their heads. Women were the scariest lot when offended.

Behind them, the sound of a door clicking shut shook them out of their thoughts. Lucrecia had stepped out of Cloud’s bedroom, a serene smile on her face as she joined her partner by the couch. Vincent endearingly slipped an arm around her shoulder, “How’s Aerith?”

“She’s fine,” Lucrecia smiled. She was a post-graduate Medicine student and current interning doctor at the university hospital, which made her the best person among them to tend to Aerith. “Just a sore ankle I’ve wrapped up for her, but she’s going to need a couple of days to recuperate. With some rest, it won’t be a problem. She’s had a shower and change of clothes in Cloud’s bedroom – you don’t mind, do you, Cloud?”

“No, not at all,” Cloud shook his head, although imagining Aerith having _showered_ and _changed_ in his room had raised the hair on his neck. Vincent beside him seemed to have sensed his embarrassment, trying to fight the laughter by coughing into his hand.

Lucrecia smiled knowingly, her women’s intuition not having missed the sudden flushness to Cloud’s expression. “She’s asleep now, but you might want to check on her later. And make sure she’s not putting any pressure on her ankle for a while.”

“Will do,” The spikey-haired boy nodded.

“She can sleep in _your_ bed tonight, Spikey head,” Yuffie teased mercilessly, clasping her hands together and fluttering her eyelashes madly, “Don’t need to bring her back to my apartment in a rush, ohohoho.”

Cloud responded by tossing the pillow into the young girl’s lap who cheekily caught it. The rest of them in the apartment had broken out in wide grins, breaking the otherwise tense atmosphere for the first time that evening.

“Onto serious business, though,” Lucrecia folded her arms into her lap, “If you give me enough evidence for this whole matter, I can bring them to my lab to analyse for DNA and try to identify the culprit.”

“You can do that!?” Yuffie’s eyes widened to the sizes of saucers. The world of medicine and science never ceased to sound lofty and incredible to the young girl.

Vincent smirked, obviously proud of his partner’s ability, “Lucrecia is a training doctor and a lab researcher – I’m sure she has many tricks up her sleeves.”

Lucrecia gave her partner a slant of a smile, squeezing his hand back, “Yuffie, do you think you can bring me something substantial that would work as evidence?”

“Hmm…Aerith’s kept her broken violin, torn sheet music and everything else in her bedroom. I can also show you where her locker is...Would that suffice?” Yuffie asked.

“Good, we can start from there,” Lucrecia nodded, “As long as I can get some thumbprints or a DNA from a cell, we’ll be making some headway.”

“Let’s hope this case closes soon,” Yuffie stretched her limbs out on the couch, “I’m so tired of seeing Aerith hurt and tired. She doesn’t complain, but all those sleep-deprived nights she’s been going through— it’s not like I don’t know as her housemate, you know?”

At her words, a muscle had tightened in Cloud’s jaw, his eyes darkening into pools of dangerously cool storms.

Barret, sensing the anger rise again in their youngest housemate, made the first move amongst them to stand up. He glanced at the clock, “It’s getting late. I can walk Yuffie back to her apartment.”

“I’ll go with you,” Cid stood up, “Need to get a smoke outside before my lungs die of oxygen.”

Vincent cocked him an eyebrow sardonically, “You know, Highwind, you really ought to cut down that habit before Shera shreds your throat.”

Cid rolled his eyes, “Whatever. When we get married then I’ll rethink my lifestyle changes.”

“Then you’d better propose to her soon,” Vincent narrowed his eyes, causing a mirthful Lucrecia to break out into melodious laughter beside him.

“Alright, alright, break it up, guys,” Yuffie huffed, standing up to wring Cid and Barret on each of her arm so they now looked like big bodyguards by her tiny frame, “Lead the way, my personal bodyguards!” It made for a hilarious sight despite everything, and Cloud couldn’t help but smirk into the pillow by their apparent stark contrast in sizes.

Lucrecia stood up, “I’ll go start the car, Vincent.” She could sense he needed some time with the younger boy.

Vincent nodded as his partner exited the apartment along with the rest, leaving him and the spikey-haired boy alone on the couch.

The former studied Cloud intently, sensing Cloud’s worry still. “Lucrecia’s best at everything she does in the lab. We’ll find the culprit,” he reassured.

Cloud nodded solemnly, sinking deep into the sofa with a sudden weariness that had clung to his expression. It was as if the day had been too long, too taxing, and all that fear and anxiety that had wrung his body earlier now wore him down into a state of fatigue he hadn’t known possible. He crushed the pillow to his chest, feeling entirely deflated.

“I’ve never seen you like this,” Vincent pointed out.

“Like what? Like shit?” Cloud bluntly asked.

Vincent glanced at the boy sideways, “No. Just… worried, Strife. And never thought I’d see you scared.”

_Worried. Scared._

Of course he’d been scared shitless when he thought he had lost Aerith. Cloud couldn’t bear to entertain that excruciating thought further, and had smacked the pillow over his head so it ended up balancing precariously on top of him at a peculiar angle almost tipping over. Even Vincent thought the boy looked quite a comical sight in his despairing moment, and managed a small chuckle.

Silence fell among them. Cloud lifted the pillow off his head at last, a sudden sombre look crossing his face. “That’s…what I meant to ask you the other day, actually, Vin.”

“What? About your feelings?” Vincent asked point-blankly. He could read his housemate like glass and had learnt in the past years living in the same space to pick up on Cloud’s characteristics and thoughts like second nature. “As to why you’re feeling like this?”

Cloud nodded wordlessly. He said nothing, letting Vincent work out the rest like he expected the intuitive older man would.

“You…don’t know why you’re feeling the way you are? Scared shitless over her?” Vincent raised an eyebrow.

“I…don’t know a lot of things lately,” Cloud admitted. The deathly stillness of the night had broken something in him – he found himself now confessing words to Vincent he would never have previously. “Of these…weird emotions, strange feelings…Ah, forget it, never mind I asked.”

Vincent truly wanted to box the younger man’s ears, but stopped short himself. Bless that boy still learning the ropes to grasping human emotions.

“Spike,” Vincent cleared his throat, “You…really don’t know why you’re acting like this? Why you’re so worked up over her being hurt, why you’re so goddamn overprotective of her, why her going missing scared you shitless? You really don’t know?”

Cloud fell silent.

 _The same reason why I can’t imagine my universe existing without her anymore. The same reason why I can’t tear my mind away from her when she’s not around. The same reason why I lost it when I thought I had lost her._ A maelstrom of thoughts strung wires around his brains, working their invisible strings to finally arrive at that one, inevitable conclusion.

It hit him right there and then. Like the eye of the storm, like the bolt of lightning.

“I…” Cloud found his words as last, a mixture of disbelief and wonder awashing his eyes as the clarity of it all sank into his brain.

_He had been so blind._

“I…I _love_ her.” The words rolled out of his tongue. Easily, smoothly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Beside him, Vincent rewarded him with a small smile. “There. Not so hard after all grasping human emotions, huh, Spike?”

Cloud stared blankly ahead of him, in nothing at particular. Then his dazed set of vividly piercing blue eyes had found Vincent’s. His mouth opened, closed, then opened again like a performing guppy as the reality of it tided over him.

_I love her. Shit, I love her. I…I love Aerith._

“I’m gonna go drive Lucrecia home now,” Vincent stood up, pride evident in his tone at having witnessed the younger boy’s emotional breakthrough firsthand. He gave Cloud a final squeeze in the shoulder, “You might wanna go check up on her.” He threw a knowing smirk over his shoulders and sauntered away into the night.

When he was sure Vincent was no longer in sight, Cloud dived headfirst into the couch, disregarding his entire body weight sinking into the cushy pillows.

Dazedness traversed all over the contours of his face, and there was a dumbstruck expression he wore on it that he hadn’t rid of yet.

_Fuck. This…is love?_

This maddening urge to touch her all the time, to be with her all the time, to want to hold her all the time, to want to protect her, to keep her safe, to wrap her in his arms, skin against skin, hands intertwined –

This…was **_love_**?

“Cloud?” Aerith’s voice rang out from his bedroom, stirring him alert on the couch.

His heart thudded in anticipation. It only took her speaking his name in a single syllable, and that familiar emotion had exploded in his chest – that overwhelming desire to run to her side, grip her on the back of her shoulders and press her body beneath his to save him from drowning in an existence deprived of hers.

_I’m screwed. I’m so damn screwed. I’m…_

“Right here,” he responded and took off into his bedroom, not missing the way her presence had ignited so quickly the radiance and sunshine now altogether interweaving like satin ribbons enveloping his entire frame in the velvet texture of warmth. The quavers of his heart had bloomed like flower bursts within his soul, sending shivers down his spine as the truth cleaved to him completely…

_…I’m in love with you, Aerith._

* * *

When he opened the door and found her standing by his bed with her back turned to him, his worried heart lurched to his throat. He reached her side in two quick strides.

“You’re not supposed to be standing, you know that,” he admonished, tugging at her hand to guide her back to bed.

Aerith whirled around in surprise, her eyes meeting his with a jolt of electricity. Cloud let his arms fall back to his side as though her touch had blazed his skin. The clarity of his feelings made no difference whatsoever for him to be still completely affected by her. _Bloody fantastic._

He curiously studied the item in her hands. She was holding onto a pot of succulent.

Recognition flared in his aquamarine eyes and he looked up to see the ever-growing smile graze her lips. Her eyes danced incandescent lights into his, and Cloud realized in dismay that he was never going to be ready to handle her dizzying effect on him, ever. Especially not tonight.

“I see you’ve been tending to Mister Cactuar very well.” She held up the cactus between them. The succulent had evidently grown a few inches since the last time she had gifted it to him at the end of his final Tournament match. The lovely glow on her face told him that the sight of it – and him apparently having taken conscientious care of it – made her incredibly happy.

He shifted on his feet, the colours on his cheeks blossoming scarlet as his eyes shyly surveyed her from head to toe.

When Lucrecia had informed him that Aerith had changed in his room, the last thing he had expected was for her to have changed into _his_ shirt. And by Gaia, that was literally all she was wearing now. His blue T-Shirt hung onto her petite frame like an oversized pajamas top that reached barely to the cream of her thighs, and for a mortifying moment, it hit him that she probably wasn’t wearing anything else beneath except for her—

_Abolish thought, Strife, A-BO-LISH!_

His senses were reeling into dangerous red alert territory, and Cloud wheeled on his feet abruptly, swinging around to ensure she wasn’t anywhere within his peripheral vision to threaten all sanity out of his thoughts.

“Uh,” he managed to stutter at last, his gaze finding the toilet door suddenly very interesting. Bad idea – he could envision Aerith having walked through his toilet door wearing nothing but a towel, _his_ towel, and his insides kicked him alive. “Y-yeah,” he lamely finished.

“And I never thought you’d still have that lily with you,” she giggled.

He cast her a sideway glance, careful not to look too closely lest she wrecked his nerves again. She was fiddling with the single yellow lily that had dried up on the corner of his table. His eyes softened at the memory of their first encounter – one which had altered his life forever.

“Hard to forget,” he told her simply.

She was smiling at him, and he was exasperatedly thinking _Oh my god, why did she have to look like an angel beckoning me towards her spellbinding presence_? But it was useless, and he was already closing in the distance between them and had moved to sit by her side on the bed. She edged backwards to give him room, and no sooner had sent a playful poke into his chest.

And then it struck him with dread that it was an extremely bad move to sit next to Aerith in _his own bed._

His mind fleeted back to that instance where he had last kissed her in the same place when he had lost all self-control. And now, now…

Now she wasn’t even wearing anything more than his shirt.

_Fuck, fuck, fuck._

“If I didn’t know better,” her tone was light, teasing, “I’d think you have a soft spot for me, Mister.”

His eyes embraced hers, and he wished he had the guts right there and then for his arms to do so instead. 

“Uh, maybe,” he mumbled. It wasn’t exactly a lie. He _did_ have a soft spot for her.

His mind searched hastily for something else to distract himself before his thoughts could thread into dangerous territory reminding him she was wearing nothing _but his shirt._ The words spilled out of his mouth unintelligently, “So, uh, your leg better?”

“Oh,” she glanced at her ankle now wrapped neatly in bandages, “Much better. Lucrecia’s done an amazing job with my ankle. I reckon it’ll be alright in a few days.”

And then he was entirely blindsided by her sudden gesture that caught him off-guard – she had lifted a finger to trail it gently down his jawline, quaking his insides into an electrifying storm all at once. 

“Thanks for coming after me.” Her smile set his entire heart roaring.

“Don’t worry about it,” he assured her, stopping when he felt she had more to say.

“I didn’t make it to string quartet practice in the end.” There was a tinge of sadness in her voice, and something tugged at his insides when he noted her eyes dipping in disappointment, “I think I’m going to be fired.”

Cloud shook his head, “Yuffie spoke to Madame M. She’s agreed to schedule another rehearsal in two days and has asked you to come along.”

“Really?” Aerith’s eyes widened. They now held a fresh glimmer of hope.

“Yep, and I’ll make sure you turn up for prac this time,” he continued before she could cut him off, “No buts, Aerith, I’ll personally escort you there if I have to.”

Something glistened in her eyes, matching the magnetic smile on her face resembling the blossoming of the first spring flower. Her face hinted of good humour, “Even if you have to carry me like you had to just now?”

He scoffed, “You’d rather have me, or I’ll get wild horses to do it?”

“If I have to choose,” she crinkled her nose impishly, then leant so close to him, his entire breath was stolen right under her nose, “Definitely you, my knight in shiny armour.”

Colours warmed his cheeks again, and he cleared his throat while being careful to dodge her intent eyes, “It’s getting late. You’d better rest up, Aerith.”

She giggled, sensing his boyish awkwardness – a trait of his that had long ago endeared him to her like stars to the sky, “I know, Cloud, I’d better go. Will you…walk me back at least?”

He looked at her as if she had cornstalks growing out of her ears. “Aerith,” his voice serious and low, “You’re not meaning to go back to your apartment now, are you?”

She looked at him, confused.

He stared at her, feeling suddenly grumpy. There was no way in hell he was going to parade Aerith across campus back to her residence wearing nothing but his shirt and her silky length of legs exposed to potential leering male students. The thought of it horrified him, and he pressed the weight of his palms into her shoulders.

“Sit,” he ordered, “You sleep here.”

“Tonight?” A quizzical look had overtaken her features.

“Yes, I’ll…” he looked frantically at his door, “I’ll sleep on the couch outside.”

“Oh,” she fell silent then, “Are you sure? I was just kidding, you know, Cloud. I can walk back to my apartment myself—”

“Sit, Aerith, and sleep,” he practically barked at her this time, the sternness on his face daring her to refuse.

She looked at him, surprised, then burst into fits of giggles.

He raked a frustrated hand through his hair, “What’s so funny?”

She drove him mad most of the times when he wasn’t so distracted by her beauty. And she looked utterly entrancing and adorable and…cute as a button now wearing an oversized shirt, _his_ shirt, that clung onto her like an enormous deflated balloon. The childish comicality of it accentuated the innocence on her face, but did nothing – _absolutely nothing_ – to hide the feminine curves beneath that cotton fabric driving him mental thinking about.

“You’re cute when you’re bossy,” she beamed cheerfully.

He rolled his eyes, “You sure I’m the bossy one in this room?”

“Hey,” she punched him lightly in the ribs, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He had to smirk, a triumphant glint in his eyes, “Whatever you want it to be.”

She inched closer, poking a light finger onto his nose affectionately. “Idiot. But you’re _my_ idiot.”

_My._

Her words thundered into his heart and stayed there for the longest time like a ray of sunshine blazing his entire galaxy incandescent. Had she really just called him hers? Perhaps she had meant it out of jest, but the words had rolled off her tongue like second nature, and although she had laughed afterwards, there was such sincerity and tenderness in her eyes that it had melted him on the spot.

“You…” He could only draw a single breath to steady his madly racing pulse, “You’re _impossible_.”

“I know,” her eyes danced, shining like sunrays that toppled down from the sky to make a home right there in his heart.

In that split second, Aerith had felt that instinctive impulse to reach out to him. The distance was too maddening between them, and so she did. She leant into him and wrapped her arms snugly around his waist, nestling closer to the warmth he emanated.

Cloud blinked in a start. His eyes darted wildly to her in his arms, and yet his body had opened up to her and relaxed just as naturally in the next second. His eyes softened; his heart skidding until it burnt and crashed. Every last defense inside him broke and crumbled, and Cloud realized he no longer cared.

It was as if her touch had pierced through all the bad in his life and all was well again. All the stoicism, all the years of self-discipline in him waned even if just temporarily, and he shut his eyes, cherishing the feel of her against him.

His arms came around the slenderness of her waist, fastening her firmly to him. They stayed like this for long minutes – her burying her face into his broad shoulders as if they were the cocoon she had sought her entire life, and him resting his chin atop her soft hair with every ounce of his muscles and bones refusing to let her go.

“Cloud?”

“Mm?” His tone was hoarse, chockful with emotions.

“Thank you.” She murmured into his neck, breathing those two simple words. _For everything, for coming for me._

As if the world had stopped still on its axis, his arms squeezed around her small waist a fraction tighter, and she melted into his protective embrace.

“Go to sleep, Aerith.” He didn’t dare utter more, lest the quaver of his voice betrayed him.

She huddled closer into his warmth and yawned.

“Sleepyhead,” he looked down at her, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He could sense her curving smile against his shirt, before she had pressed her ear to his heart.

“…What are you doing?” He asked curiously.

“Falling asleep to the sound of your heartbeat,” she murmured into his chest, then snuggled deeper into his arms, his touch alone making everything warmer somehow.

His eyes widened at her reply, but said nothing when he sensed her tiredness. The smell of her rose-scented hair tickled his nose, and Cloud waited for the tremors within him to pass as she buried her face into the calm of his heartbeat, and in a matter of seconds, fell quietly asleep against his chest.

He watched each of her eyelids shut to the beckoning of her dreams, all too aware of his own arms around her waist. In the dark of the ink-spilled night sky, he memorized every line of her unfettered beauty – how she fitted into his arms like she belonged there. Helplessly drawn, his fingers absentmindedly combed slow paths down the length of her hair before tucking a loose strand behind her ear.

With trembling fingers, he traced her cheeks, and as if every atom in his body had gravitated towards her, he at last dropped his mouth to the side of her temple in a tender kiss. The world collapsed around him, everything else halting in stillness saved for the sounds of their ruptured heartbeats moving in tandem together.

Seeming to respond to his affectionate gesture even in sleep, Aerith stirred slightly in his arms, only shifting to press impossibly closer into his chest.

Cloud wordlessly watched the moonlight through his room spill beautifully onto her hair, and fell in love all over again with the way the waves of starshine collapsed against her cheeks.

**TBC**

* * *

A/N:

Aww there you go. Dense doofus Cloud finally gets a nudging from Vincent into the right direction. I thought it important Cloud HAD to be the one himself to figure out his feelings, instead of having Vinny tell him directly. 

Way to go, Cloud! After 20 friggin’ chapters! Our boy has made a breakthrough -tosses confetti- AND THAT KISS ON THE TEMPLE. GAHHHHH.

Comment/review – you know you wanna, after I’ve just served you a good dollop of Clerith fluff/sappiness! ^^

Myst-san


	21. couch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Although,” she leant closer to him, “we could go on a date now, if you like.” 
> 
> He blinked. “What?” His voice sounded strangulated to his own ears. 
> 
> “A date. You still owe me one more, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: 
> 
> are you ready for your second dollop of Clerith waff/fluff? 
> 
> Just a forewarning that this entire chapter does not really have a plot to advance the fic forth. LOL it’s basically pure, unadulterated Clerith fluff hehe. I was in a mood LOL plus I think it’s high time Cloud/Aerith deserves a break and another date after all that Scarlet drama yasss. 
> 
> As usual, **no beta-read warning** Xd
> 
> Myst-san

**\--x chapter 21: couch**

As Aerith sat up rubbing sleep out of her eyes, the blankets on her shoulders pooled around her on the bed.

She blinked a few times to adjust to the warm light filtering through the windowpanes, and for a moment she had the mistaken impression she had awoken in a shimmery sea with the morning sun rays bouncing off the blue ceilings. 

_Where…am I?_ Her eyes drifted around the foreign environment before it hit her that this _wasn’t_ her bedroom. Last night's memories flooded back into her head – of the addictive, warm feeling of being in someone’s else arms in _someone else’s_ bed, of drinking in the scent of cinder and chlorine that had acted like liquor intoxicating her blood, of her soul dancing when someone else’s breath had passed through her skin while she had fallen soundly asleep to the calm of another person’s heartbeat.

Her heart skipped a beat.

_Cloud Strife._

Amidst her foggy recollections, Aerith wondered if the faint memory of someone having kissed her on the temple had been a fragment of her dream, or had occurred in reality. She gingerly fingered the spot where she had dreamt the kiss to be planted, and shook her head in a wistful smile.

She really ought to stop thinking of Cloud even in sleep, too.

Last night when they had embraced and he had opened his arms to her, Aerith had thought it too surreal to be true. Surely it all hadn’t been a dream?

_If so, please don’t let me wake up._

She rose from the bed and surveyed her environment. This was Cloud’s bedroom, unmistakably. The Life Sciences textbooks scattered all over his desk, Mister Cactuar the succulent and the yellow lily she had gifted them to him prominently displayed, and a massive exhibition of his Blitzball trophies and medals garnered from the span of his career arranged in chronological order around his wooden shelves.

Although… the only thing missing, no, the only person sorely missing, was the bedroom owner. Where was Cloud, anyway?

Never mind his absence for now. Fascinated, Aerith had moved closer to examine his golden glories. Admiration shone in her eyes as she fingered his medals and trophies proudly shimmering under the sunlight. 

How amazingly talented and wonderful was Cloud, truly? If she hadn’t known better, she had found herself in love with this magnificent human who could turn the waters into his own brand of magic.

She hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath until she finished reading the font embossed on his latest medal hanging from the wall. _MVP of the 20 th Blitzball Tournament. _She didn’t think her heart could burst with so much wonder and admiration and love for someone, and it was hard to tear her eyes away from all of the physical testaments to the sporting wunderkind.

It finally took a loud sneeze from afar to jerk her from her reverie.

_Cloud._

Aerith pushed past the bedroom door and tip-toed towards the sofa where she expected he might still be asleep. And he was— very much fast asleep still, as her eyes fell upon his lightly snoring form amongst those plush cushions. She had to cover her mouth to stuff her giggles.

How could anyone look so adorable and vulnerable at the same time while asleep?

Aerith knelt down to study his shut eyelids, his slightly parted mouth eliciting the occasional soft snores, and the flushness of his cheeks from the fatigue of last night. Her fingers itched immensely to touch and soothe his weary bones and muscles.

Deep in slumber, he exuded such a genuine warmth reminding Aerith of sweet honey from nectar on a summer’s day, and the muscles around his jaw had loosened slack to hint of the underlayer of boyishness he often let slip from his bravado when around her.

Like magnet to his skin, she raised a finger to lightly thread through his messily unkempt hair. Her mouth curved into a smile – he would be so peeved if she ever told him he looked cute with his hair unwaxed in all its un-spiking glory. And he seemed to be having a nice dream – his slightly parted lips had curled into the smallest, imperceptible smile, reaching places in her heart even the sun couldn’t shine.

_Gaia, he’s even more handsome and boyish when asleep. How is this possible?_

Her fingers circled around the convex of his cheeks, trailing down the rest of his jawline. Her heart seeped with unexpected tenderness when she realized he had played the gentleman again _for her,_ and had slept on the couch outside so she could have his bed.

 _Silly Cloud._ She realized he must have slipped out of their embrace last night after tucking her into his bed and had headed for the couch.

She noticed his blankets in a heap on the floor. He must have kicked it away in the midst of sleep. An endearing smile broke out on her features as she bent to pick them and gently rest the covers over him, careful not to wake the tired boy. 

_Sleep tight, my prince charming._ She crouched so her gaze now lined with the crescent of his shut eyelids, and she brought a finger to touch his nose affectionately. There was something about looking at him this way that had caused all the butterflies to escape from the pit of her stomach and sent bliss flaring into her soul. 

Her stomach abruptly growled with hunger pangs. Where were Barret and the rest, anyway? She curiously looked around the apartment, certain it was only her and the spikey-haired man.

She cast a glance at the kitchen and stifled a giggle. It would definitely do the man she loved no good if he woke up hungry, after all that he had done for her.

A good hearty Sunday brunch for the both of them – why not, indeed?

 _Homecooked brunch with Cloud Strife._ That didn’t sound like a bad way to wake up on a Sunday, after all.

* * *

Cloud dreamt that an angel had touched and traced the entity of his face in his sleep.

Nope, not a sign of halo on the crown of her amber hair, but when the delicateness of her fingertips had caressed his skin and sent his blood flaring to life, he knew solely from the way she had touched him that her hands were made from all things magic and everything beautifully weaved together.

He cracked an eye open lazily. Was it morning already? He sat up on the couch, noticing the blankets on him. Strange…he was certain he had kicked them off sometime last night. His slightly disoriented mind worked through last night’s events, and then his face had transformed into a canvas of every gentle emotion passing through like soft rain.

Oh. _Oh._

His nose picked up on a distinct smell, and he blinked.

Wha—he was certain he had smelt the irresistible smell of _potatoes_ tantalizing his nose. His stomach rippled a growl in response.

Potatoes? That made no sense.

His head spun around wildly, his groggy brain still trying to get its bearings right. When his eyes raked the kitchen in the space beyond and at last spotted _her,_ his heart leapt to his throat.

Yup- she was distinctly present right there, before his eyes. 

How was it possible that they had embraced and fallen asleep in each other’s arms only just last night? Seeing her now physically made his arms ached for her again, and surely they hadn’t been apart for more than a few hours.

If this was what every man labelled _love,_ then he had a lot to learn.

He was about to call her name when he stopped himself, sensing her intense concentration in the kitchen even from where he sat.

Watching her work the pans in the kitchen, _cooking,_ apron latched onto the front of _his_ T-shirt, kitchen gloves in her hands, watching the trickle of perspiration down her forehead as she looked thoroughly engrossed in churning out the product of her recipe, Cloud felt as if someone had just whacked him in the stomach with a battering ram.

Did she really have to look so beautiful? So…wonderful? So full of life and hope and happiness playing homemaker for him?

His eyes bored into her lovely face, her busy hands pan-frying his favourite potato wedges tempting his stomach. The smile she constantly wore on her face glowed like the radiant light of the sun.

For a long moment, he simply stared, speechless. She had stolen his breath like the very notorious thief she was. Nothing could ever prepare him for the whirlwind of emotions shaking his core. Not even recognising that all of this insanity was what humans like to label as ‘love’.

_She’ll be the death of me before I realize why._

Cloud forced himself to breathe. Surely his lungs would malfunction any minute now forgetting the art of inhalation from the long minutes he had simply sat at the couch watching her. 

His phone beeped, jarring him out of his thoughts. He cursed the sender as his eyes skimmed over the new message Cid had pinged him.

_Morning, Spike. Me and Vinny are out with our ladies. Barret’s working a shift at the bar. Settle lunch yourself, eh? We’ll be back by nightfall. Enjoy the apartment, especially the COUCH, all to yourself while you can…with your woman ; ) heh._

_p.s. don’t forget about protection, kiddo. I’ve got spares in my bedroom cupboard if you need._

_Cid_

Cloud’s face burnt, and felt as if his phone had scalded his fingers. He dropped his mobile like it was burning embers from his fingers and it landed into the cushions with a loud plop.

What the fuck did Cid think he was insinuating!? _What protection!?_ Now Cloud was dense, but he wasn’t _that_ dense, and he knew exactly the specifics to Cid’s implications. 

_I’m going to throttle Cid the next time I see him,_ Cloud swore inwardly, his breaths quavering in his throat. His cheeks were furiously red, and his entire body was afire.

He hadn’t realized in his distressed state that throwing his phone into the sofa had caused Aerith to take notice in the kitchen.

“Cloud? You’re awake?” She called out.

Cloud resisted the urge to sink his scorching face into his palms. He hoped his blushes weren’t insanely obvious. “Y-Yes.” He croaked. Managed to.

And it was as if Cid’s message had ignited something in him, and his now alert brain had worked out the tiny detail that he, and Aerith, were all alone in his apartment.

And she was _still_ wearing only his shirt…

Oh my god. This was very, very bad.

“Morning, Cloud,” she greeted, approaching him at the couch with dining plates in her hands.

Cloud tried to shove all those mental, _very vivid_ thoughts out of his head as Aerith materialized in his vision, setting his breakfast onto the table before him. He forced the blushes to dissipate as quickly as they could, and prayed she hadn’t seen them.

“Uh, hi,” he mumbled like a fool. Fantastic, what a great start to the morning, he thought sarcastically.

She was smiling at him, not noticing his flustered state. “You had a good night’s rest?”

“Uh, yeah,” he nodded. He wasn’t lying. He had the best sleep in years even if his bed had been the damn couch. Dreaming of her had helped.

He noticed the seemingly endless plates of food she had arranged around the table. Eyes widening in amazement, he took in the glorious sight of maple syrup pancakes, potato wedges, honey bacon, scrambled eggs and muffin bread tempting him right under his nose.

“Aerith, what…what is this?” He held his breath in wonder.

Gaia help him. Twenty-one years of living, and this was the first time someone other than his mom or Vincent had whipped up a proper meal for him.

“Breakfast. Or haven’t you had one before?” She smiled cheerfully at him, gesturing to the food. 

“T-Thank you,” he unintelligently mumbled, and accepted the utensils she passed him as she took her place next to him on the couch.

Cloud was painfully, _very_ painfully, aware she was sitting very, very close to him wearing nothing much beneath his shirt. The expanse of legs she was revealing wasn’t doing anything to numb his racing thoughts.

 _I’m not going to last through this breakfast. I’m not._ He thought in dismay.

“Are you going to start digging in? Or are you just going to stare at the food till the new year?” She nudged him lightly in the ribs before pulling up her own plate to her mouth.

“Right,” he nodded.

Aerith had absolutely spoilt him for choice today. Everything looked deliciously sumptuous, and he finally reached out for the potato wedges he had sniffed earlier.

“Don’t worry, I won’t poison you,” she assured him, giggling.

Cloud covered his smile with his plate, finding himself relaxing immediately from her light banter. Although, her very, very distracting choice of outfit – or lack thereof – was still immensely bothering him and his raging hormones.

“I know. Otherwise you’ll go down with me, right? We’re eating the same food cooked by the same chef after all,” he replied with a most noticeable smirk around his lips.

Aerith frowned, “You’d better take those words back, Mister, unless you wanna starve on an empty stomach.” Her impish eyes were shining with mirth, though.

He scoffed while chewing on potatoes, “My bad. You’re an amazing chef.” 

“But of course,” she broke into a broad grin, flashing him the thumbs-up. “Thanks for the compliment, Cloud.”

They fell into a comfortable silence saved for the sounds of blissful bites into their breakfast and the summer birds chirping outside his apartment.

“So,” Aerith spoke between mouthfuls, “Where’s Cid and the rest?”

“Dating,” he shrugged, “Barret’s on shift.”

“Oh,” Aerith smiled, “That’s nice.”

“Yep,” he absentmindedly sipped on his glass of milk Aerith had poured for him. He half wondered how he had known it was his favourite choice of beverage.

“So…” she spoke again, and his heart did that little tango whenever he sensed her tone dangerously threading into flirting territory. Whenever she switched to her saucy, sassy persona, his defenses crumbled to literally zero. She was now eyeing him sideways, the corner of her lips twitching in the familiar manner he knew would gutter him soon enough, “Why aren’t _you_ on a date, Mister?”

He choked on his milk. It took him long seconds to calm down while she covered her mouth to stop her giggles.

“W-Wha?” He managed uncoolly. He could feel his ears burning hot. He was certain he now looked the shade of the ketchup sauce on top of his muffin bread.

“Relax, I’m just teasing you,” she slid back into the sofa with a smile that entangled his world to hers in a heartbeat. Her expression lit up the entire room.

He resorted to sipping on his milk, certain he had lost every sheen of his confident exterior around her. My god, if his housemates were to witness his defenses now being utterly demolished by her existence, they would laugh right in his face.

“Although…” she continued, pausing to stir her pot of earl grey tea with a teaspoon in her hands. Cloud couldn’t help but think how much Aerith reminded him amusingly of a posh upper-class royal princess having tea and biscuits for breakfast. The image in his head made his mouth twitched.

He stared at her questioningly, waiting for her to finish her sentence. The impishness in her expression warned him that he ought to be wary of any potential assault to his heart’s fortifications any minute now.

“Although,” she leant closer to him and he instinctively backed away, terrified of what her touch could do to him, “Although we _could_ go on a date now, if you like.”

He blinked. Her words had undoubtedly struck up a deafening orchestra in his drumming heart now accelerating into lightning speed. 

“What?” His voice sounded strangulated to his own ears. At least he managed a syllable. Somehow. 

“A date,” she repeated, her lips drawn into an uplifting smile, “You still owe me one more, right?”

Of course he remembered. It had been a moment of jest when she had suggested during Tournament season that he had better repay her for all those bento boxes with a second date.

His heart slammed to his lungs, stopping breath.

“You want to go on a date…now?” He looked at her incredulously. Not like he truly, personally minded, but…right now? In broad daylight when it was baking hot outside and he had no clue what to prepare for her, for their date? Oh shit.

“Oh, don’t be such a wet blanket,” she made a face, then before he could understand her intentions further, she had reached out to grab the video game console controller on the living room table into her hands.

He looked at her curiously.

“Ever heard of dating indoors?” She sent a cheerful grin his way.

“Uh,” he swallowed, “not really.”

“Oh, you’re impossible,” she chastised him, proceeding to hand him the other controller which he confusedly accepted. “It means we date right here. Right now. Indoors.”

“Here?” He uttered, completely taken aback.

“Something wrong? What, you don’t like the idea?”

He blinked. Then it hit him that he _liked_ the idea more than his expression admitted. His traitorous blush gave his inner thoughts away as he fumbled for the right words, “I…I never said that.”

He studied her in that thin shirt of his. His eyes had travelled down the dangerous territory of her bare legs before he could help it. Involuntary shivers shook him. Cloud suddenly wasn’t sure if he was ready for this ‘indoor date’ – whatever she had up her sleeves. In fact, he didn’t think his body and nerves this morning could take anymore of her beauty running his poor heart over.

Not when she was only wearing his shirt, and probably nothing much beneath. He just…just, _couldn’t._

She giggled, completely oblivious to his increasing fluster, “I propose a video gaming date. How does _that_ sound, Cloud?”

“You…” he stared at the controller in his hands, then at hers, “You want to video game? With me?”

“What, you don’t think I’m up for it?” She pursed her lips, then eyed him haughtily, “Wait a minute… you think I can’t beat you at a game or something.”

“No, it’s not that,” he shook his head vehemently, earning a jovial laugh from her.

She was turning on the TV before he could stop her. She turned to him, fixing him gamely with a competitive look, winking.

That damned wink sent his entire heart colliding into the pits of his chest. Dammit, if she had to wink at him again—

“Come on, Cloud! Where’s your competitive spirit?” She was already focused on the screen, logging herself into the game as player number one in the virtual fighting game she had seen Barret and the guys play two nights ago.

At his limbs being frozen to his side, she had fixed him with a frown, then nudged him lightly in the ribs to jolt him from his stunted thoughts. Quickly recovering, his fingers effectively found their place on the controller buttons.

It occurred to Cloud that this strange scenario of them having breakfast while competitively video-gaming in his apartment was their indoor date happening _right now._ And the thought of it being her idea had sent his heart aflutter into a place undeniably close to a slice of paradise on earth.

He watched the no-nonsense look she wore on her face whenever she was engrossed in a task that required intense concentration, and he made no attempt to wipe that silly smile on his face.

“You…sure about this?” He decided it was a weekend after all, and even his self-control needed a respite. And so Cloud had let that silly smile steal the corners of his lips, unmistakably noticeable to her acute eyes which she had reciprocated with a dazzling smile.

“Sure about beating you, you mean?” She posed for a vainglorious expression.

“Hn, we’ll see about that.” He smirked. He just _had_ to smirk. If Cloud had something else aside from Blitzball in his arsenal of skills he excelled at, it was video gaming. Even his housemates feared him the moment he picked up the controller and booted their virtual characters right out of the screen within a matter of minutes.

He decided he had better show Aerith some mercy if he wanted to go easy on her for their indoor date. 

* * *

“Cloud, you’re not playing fair!” She exclaimed, shooting him death glares from where she sat with controller in hand.

“I am being very fair, Aerith,” he said as calmly as he could, trying not to let the smirk on his lips curl even deeper lest he wanted to incur her wrath. He had beaten her in almost every other game they had been playing in the last two hours, and they were now racing on virtual go-karts on the screen.

“You’re…” she hurled her body to the right, matching the actions of her go-kart swerving on screen, “You’re not even showing me any shred of mercy, at all! And you call yourself _my_ prince charming!?”

Cloud was having the toughest time trying to keep a straight, poker face, fighting the laughter bubbling in his chest at the comical sight she was making when she swung her body aligned with the motions of her on-screen character. When Aerith was so fiercely intent on winning the game, she was undeniably hilarious.

He eyed her from the corner of his eyes. Hilarious… and _extremely adorable._ Wearing his T-shirt, video game controller in her hand, her muffin bread stuffed mid-way into her mouth…she was an arresting, charming vision.

If he wasn’t so intent on beating her, his attention would have drifted altogether on simply staring at her. It wasn’t hard, when she had looked so enticing acting all competitive trying to best him in what he knew definitely wasn’t her forte.

“All’s fair in video games, Aerith,” he reminded her as stoically as he could. And then with a mish-mash of buttons on his controller, he had swerved his go-kart passed hers and beaten her to the finishing line.

“Oh no, you don’t, Mister,” she was biting down hard on her lips, thoroughly absorbed on winning the next race that now commenced.

He found her too irresistibly adorable not to try and taunt her for a little bit, and he purposefully swerved his go-kart sideways so it now sent hers colliding into the green patch of virtual grass.

“CLOUD! Stop it!” She protested loudly, sending him a helpless look.

His only response was a twitch of his mouth, nearly a triumphant smile. Big mistake.

She leapt for his video game controller, and in that startling move he hadn’t anticipated, his eyes widened as she snatched it out his hands.

“Aerith,” he warned, trying to reach for his controller. On screen, his go-kart had crashed and burnt into flames. He was narrowing his eyes at her now holding his controller gleefully in her hands.

“That will teach you, Mister, for being mean,” she stuck out her tongue.

“That’s cheating, Aerith,” he put on his sternest voice, inching deliberately towards her side, his calculations timing the right second to reach out and grab the controller back from her hands when the moment presented itself.

Mischief glinted in her eyes as she dangled it before his eyes, “Come and get it if you’re so competitive.”

“Give it back, or else—” His hands flailed for his controller, but she was deftly dodging it out of his way.

“Or else, what?” She giggled, enjoying teasing him with the poor controller the object of her mischief.

Cloud squinted his eyes at her, waiting for the right second to seize the chance when his athletic instinct told him to go for it. 

“Or else…” he waited, and watched like a hawk waiting for its prize. He held his breath, and when his instincts screamed for him, he swiftly lunged out for her. In that inexplicable moment so intent on retrieving his prized controller back, he had neglected the fact that he had thrown his entire body weight forward.

Aerith yelped as Cloud flung himself onto her, his hand reaching out blindingly for his controller. In that last minute he hadn’t foreseen, she had jerked her hand out of the way, sending the controller catapulting to the floor with a loud plonk.

His eyes widened, realizing the gravity of their physical situation.

In his bid to seize his controller, he had thrown himself towards her, propelling his body weight onto her petite frame and pinning her beneath him.

She stared at him, lips parting, her eyes matching his startled ones.

…They were right back in the same predicament they had found themselves two nights ago. Except this time, every vessel racing through his blood had alarmed his senses that she was dressed in barely nothing but his T-shirt pressed beneath his body, with her hair messily – and very attractively – flying over her shoulders as they tumbled together harmlessly onto the soft couch.

The universe halted around them. All notions of clocks vanished; all video game controllers laid forgotten on the floor. On screen, their virtual go-karts had collided and crashed into heaps of burnt metal, just like their searching eyes burning an inferno blazing into the recesses of their hearts.

Their legs entangled, skin touching skin, and Cloud was all too aware of her bare legs brushing against his.

 _Fuck._ This was not good. Not good at all.

Dust gathered in his throat and he forgot speech.

Didn’t help that she was looking at him with shock written over her face. Her fingers remained clutched onto his shirt.

Even she, too, had forgotten all about besting him at virtual go-kart.

She was staring into his endless pools of blue eyes, and he grew acutely conscious of her eyes trailing down to rest on his mouth.

Cloud swallowed, every nerve in him dancing into a mad tango when he held her like this on the sofa.

He stared at the plushness of her lips, ever so saccharine sweet and readily pliant, beckoning his face ever so closer, even closer.

Her eyelids fluttered shut, reminding him of butterfly wings settling on the prettiest of petals.

He inhaled. Certain the sound of thudding hearts drowning out the room wasn’t just his alone. 

The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes, was her trembling, waiting lips, as his mouth inched towards hers to close the last distance.

**TBC**

* * *

A/N

OKAY here’s the real debate-

Should Clerith kiss one more time, or not? Can we ever have enough!? Can they ever have enough kisses? ^^

And I literally LOL-ed writing Cid's text message to Cloud. That was fun xd Yeeeeeeeee omg look at the time I have work and got to wake up in 4 hours HELPPP. Clerith has ruined my life. And I don’t care one bit xd

Review/comment - tell me how that video game date made you grow cavities so large you need the Clerith dentist now! ^^

Myst-san


	22. fallen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Wanna know something, Cloud? I…wrote the song for you.”   
> His throat ran dry, his voice sounded hoarse. “Why…Why would you do that?”   
> “Because…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n:   
> 22 friggin’ chapters and we’re finally here ; ) 
> 
> Clerith hits a major milestone in here ahem I shall not spoil thou any further – thou shalt read on and find out ^^ 
> 
> Do I still need to do this? Sigh. **NO BETA-READ.** For the umpteenth times, I’m lazy as heck and old and semi-retired so let me get away with this lol. 
> 
> Myst-san

**\--x chapter 22: fallen**

A trembling heat passed between them.

More like, _flared._

His mouth hovered a few inches above hers, only a mere fraction of second separating him between the blurred lines of earth and paradise. Her eyelashes collided against his, their noses brushing, and her toes curled when she sensed his arm wrapping around the small of her waist, moulding their bodies into one on the couch.

Only the maddening millimetres between their lips separated them. His grip tightened, gently pressing her deeper into the folds of blankets that had spilled into disordered rumples around them on the cushions. The knot in his muscles grew the more the anticipation in his chest built.

The feel of Aerith – so close, so real, so beautiful – left his body trembling against hers. And when she wove her fingers into his hair, tugging him closer, the fragrance of her rose-scented shampoo added to his headiness.

Their breaths escaped unsteady and heavy against each other. Acutely aware of his hard body, she couldn’t stop the shiver that tingled and travelled over her skin. His hold on her conveyed so much warmth and strength that her body came alive and responded to his touch instantly as if shot by lightning bolt. 

She fit into his arms as if designed to stay there.

Yet as if Fate had decided to screw with the hunger that had ignited within Cloud like hellfire, heckling the spell of hypnosis that had befallen over them, the apartment doorbell untimely interrupted every inch of desire stirring in the air. The shrill sound of ringing interspersed the maddening fire smouldering between them as they jumped apart as swiftly as they had tumbled together onto the sofa before.

Someone was banging on the door heatedly. “Cloud!? Aerith!? Open the damn door!” The high-decibel exclamation belonged to none other than Yuffie nearly pounding her fists through the hardwood.

Cloud coughed. The sound of Yuffie’s voice had cruelly tore him back to reality as he eased away from Aerith. Eyes wide, cheeks a rosy pink, she looked every bit as astounded as he had felt from the magnetic force that had gravitated them towards each other.

If he wasn’t so pre-occupied thinking how adorable she looked equally flustered as him, he would have thought they both looked extremely comical sitting a considerable distance apart on the sofa, having just sprung away from each other like deers caught in the headlight. She was blushing the same guilty shade of red and pink as him as their eyes shyly danced around each other.

_So close. So damn close._

Cloud tried to hide the smidgen of disappointment he had felt. Yet a part of him was relieved, certain every atom within him would have sent his self-control spiralling into thin air if the act had been carried out on the sofa…Hard not to, when she was pressed against him barely wearing anything except a shirt – _his._

“Helloooo? Anyone home?” Yuffie was calling repeatedly beyond the wooden wall, and at her insistent pounding, Aerith rose from the sofa, her eyes skirting abashedly around the man she had almost kissed. “I-I’ll go get the door.”

His fingers reached out to stop her, and that familiar electricity skittered around them.

Cloud cleared his throat, hoping his voice came off sounding normal, “Stay here. I’ll get it.” He didn’t want her exerting any more unnecessary pressure on her ankle, and so had risen from the sofa before she could to get to the door. His nerves were still in a jumble of chaos; his thoughts scattered in jitters, when he realized how close he had come to threading into the territory of no return.

He stood facing the door where Yuffie sounded ready to pounce the door through anytime in her impatience.

He shut his eyes to steady his breaths punctuating his chests in wild time. _Breathe, Cloud, breathe._

He finally yanked open the door, and Yuffie barged in with tremendous force, nearly colliding into the wall had Cloud not stopped her in time by the shoulders.

“You! And you!” The young girl jerked her finger into Cloud’s face, then at a sheepish-looking Aerith sitting on the sofa. Yuffie sulked, folding her arms, “Why were you guys taking forever to open the damn bloody door!?”

Aerith ran her fingers through her loose bed-hair, hoping her friend wouldn’t catch the guilty look on her face, “Hi, Yuffie, what brings you here?”

“What brings me here?” Yuffie nearly screeched in exasperation as she held up a canvas bag to her face, “Were you guys so caught up in your lovey-doveyness that you’ve entirely forgotten I’m here to pass Aerith her change of clothes so she can actually go home?”

Cloud and Aerith exchanged looks before hastily averting their eyes elsewhere.

Yuffie being as sharp as ever for her age, had not been oblivious to the strange tension passing between the couple. She threw her hands exasperatedly up into the air and advanced towards a startled Aerith, shoving her clothes into the amber-haired girl’s hands. “Here, I’ve just given you the ticket to getting back to our apartment, Aerith. Now you’re free to go home!”

“Thanks, Yuf,” Aerith beamed.

“Although,” An evil glint had lit up in Yuffie’s face as she glanced back and forth between the couple looking as if they had been busted in the middle of something that weren’t meant for the young girl’s eyes, “I’m sure it wouldn’t have mattered. Aerith doesn’t look like she wants to come back to _our_ apartment anytime soon.”

“Yuffie!” Aerith grabbed onto Yuffie’s arm in a bid to shush the girl, a mortified look spreading across her face.

“Oh well, I’m out of here,” Yuffie huffed, then strutted back towards the door like a proud peacock, “I’m going to go off on my date with Reno and leave you two lovebirds to your merry lonesome!”

“Reno?” Cloud shot Yuffie an incredulous look. “You’re meeting Reno?”

“Yep!” Yuffie jumped with joviality into the air, “Score one for Yuffie Kisaragi!”

“Are you serious, Yuf?” Aerith looked surprised, yet absolutely delighted for her friend as she now held Yuffie excitedly, “When was this?”

“Not tellin’,” Yuffie stuck out her tongue, “It involved a lot of emotional and physical blackmailing on my part before I finally convinced the redhead Turk to come meet with me. So I ain’t letting anyone ruin my chances tonight.” She threw a wave behind her shoulders, “Later, lovebirds!”

Aerith stepped forward, “Wait, Yuffie—”

“I’ll tell you more tonight, Aerith. Kisaragi’s honor.” Yuffie winked at her friend, who responded with a giggle and cheerful nod.

Yuffie was clearly excited to head off to her next destination, but she took a few seconds to pause at the door, tossing a cheeky look towards Cloud and Aerith. “By the way,” she was grinning widely, “Whatever happened in the living room? Looks like the world war just got fought over there.”

The couple blinked, and the sound of the door shutting coupled with Yuffie’s cheeky laughter met their stunned faces.

Their eyes surveyed whatever damage Yuffie had referred to in the living room –they both saw it now with their cheeks growing redder. In the heat of the moment when Aerith had yanked the controller out of his hands, they hadn’t noticed it had plummeted into the bowl of potato wedges before clattering loudly onto the floor, sending yellow crumbs smattering all over the place and couch.

“Oh crumbs, sorry about the mess, Cloud,” Aerith knelt down, frantically trying to clean up the mess.

“Aerith,” he scurried to her side, frowning deeply. The last thing he wanted was her to hurt her ankle again in that precarious position. “Just sit down and let me do it.”

Their foreheads had nearly bumped into each other when he had crouched down next to her to take the potato wedges bowl out of her hands. Scarcely daring to breathe, Cloud shut his eyes and allowed her to consciously wedge a noticeable distance between them before he dared to move once more. 

_She…She really ought to stop being within my radius,_ he thought exasperatedly.

A terrible ache was blooming in the tips of his fingers. If he wasn’t careful, he would find himself craving to touch her everytime she was near.

“I’d better clean up the food and kitchen up before I go,” she told him breathlessly as she sank into the sofa, her knees nearly giving way from that maddening desire to kiss him right there when he was so close. _Bad, Aerith, bad,_ she admonished herself.

“Are you…leaving?” _Already?_ He tried not to sound terribly crestfallen – but his heart had definitely sunk six feet under at the thought of her leaving.

The lightheartedness returned to her eyes. “What, you’re missing me already?”

 _Yep._ Then at the horror of his thoughts, he had stuffed his mouth with another potato wedge before he could blurt the truth out to her.

“I’d better change into my clothes before heading back to my apartment,” she said, eyeing the T-shirt sitting too large on her.

He was looking at it as well, his heart fluctuating when he realized with mortification that he had preferred seeing her wearing _his_ shirt than anything else – it was strangely endearing, as if she had worn a piece of his heart on herself, too.

“I…” his words caught in his throat, and then flitted out easily, “I’ll walk you back.” He didn’t trust letting her go anywhere by herself at this time, especially not with the knowledge that someone out there was still trying to hurt her.

Her eyes softened incredibly at him, “You sure?”

He didn’t need to hesitate. “I’m sure.”

Flecks of light waltzed into her eyes, reflecting off into the sun like a fresh sheen of morning dew. It hit him squarely in the heart, seizing breath. The good humor in her face had returned, inciting the butterflies in his stomach all over again. “If you like…we can continue this date outside.”

 _Outside._ He considered this. Outside with Aerith sounded like a good idea. Heck, anywhere with her sounded like a brilliant idea. They could be in the dumps filled to the brim with garbage, and he would still find his place in heaven by her side.

“Uh,” he slid his hands into his pockets as coolly as he could, “Sure. Why not?”

She tilted her head at a lovely angle bearing into his. A smile played out on her mouth as his reward.

“Thanks, Cloud. But you don’t mind if I head over to the violin shop after dropping by my place? I’ve got to try and fix my violin if I want to make it for prac tomorrow.”

She must have mistaken his pause for reluctance, for she quickly batted her eyelashes at him, “I know it sounds boring but I promise it’ll be quick, and we can still have the rest of the day to make up for our date—"

“I don’t mind,” he interjected, “We can go wherever you like.” He had meant it sincerely. Wherever she wanted to go, he would follow to the ends of the world, if she let him.

“Really? Thanks. Let me go clean up the kitchen first. I don’t want to mess up your apartment.” She moved to carry the plates into the kitchen, but before she could start the tap and begin washing, he had crossed to her side and halted her movements. 

“Aerith,” he sighed exasperatedly, “Why don’t you just leave this all to me?”

“But I—”

“Look, Aerith—” he cut in, taking the wash sponge out of her hands. He was turning into bossy Cloud mode again, she observed with concealed amusement. “Why don’t you go change, and let me clean up?”

“But—”

“No buts, go,” and he pressed his fingers down onto her shoulders and gently guided her out of the kitchen.

“You sure you’re going to be ok, Cinderella? Or should I call you Cinder-Cloud?” She peered her head over the kitchen bar table, playfully offering him a concerned look.

He tried his hardest to scowl at her. “Go. _change._ ”

She giggled, her delicate features stretching into a smile that reached all the way to his heart. “Aye, Mister,” she gave a lighthearted salute and disappeared into his bedroom.

His mouth twitched as he dug his gloved hands into the steel pots and pans in the basin, soap bubbles frothing around porcelain china as if mimicking the effervescence she had planted in his heart.

Even the splash of gushing water from the tap couldn’t wipe out his ever-growing smile.

* * *

Cloud stared around in wonder as her bedroom door shut behind them. 

It was his first time visiting her apartment, and if he was surprised earlier on by the fauna and floral that greeted him upon entering her and Yuffie’s shared space, he hadn’t masked it. She had told him she kept her flowers instocks for her business here, and it had hit him right in the face that the entire apartment smelt of wildflowers; smelt of _her._

Now as he took in the charming, quaint décor of her bedroom, her entrancing scent continued to ensnare his senses. He couldn’t believe it – she had transformed her bedroom into a makeshift music practice room. Her broken violin sat on her desk. Music sheets were stuck all over her walls as if they meant something important; something sentimental to her. In the corner, a white piano sat, the sunrays bouncing off its black and white keys.

Her bed – he noted with a flicker of amusement and recognition in his eyes – unmistakably cameoed the plush toys they had won from the carnival the night after his last Tournament game. Fat Chocobo. Moomba. Moogle. The image of Aerith hugging them to sleep plastered a smile on his face.

He took slow steps towards her desk and studied the neatly framed photographs lining the corners. There were pictures of her as a teenager growing up. Aerith and her mother blowing out her birthday cake, Aerith holding up her award at what looked like probably her first violin recital, Aerith wearing her graduation mortarboard and certificate scroll attending her high school convocation, Aerith with Yuffie on a girls’ trip to the beach smiling gleefully into the camera with summer hats on their hair.

Seeing pieces of her past touched something within him, and he found himself picking up the last photograph colored sepia with age, examining it closer. It was Aerith playing the piano at a middle school recital.

 _The piano._ He didn’t realize she played it too. No wonder she had a piano in her bedroom. And here she had thought he was the one amazing and talented? Surely she jested.

“The piano, too?” He shook his head, disbelieving the extent of her humility. What else was she not capable of? Even now, she still caught him by surprise with what he hadn’t known about her.

“It’s common for violinists to pick up the pianoforte,” she shrugged nonchalantly, as if it meant nothing amazing to her unlike what he perceived, “It helps with the craft of our main instrument.”

He nodded. No wonder those children he had seen at her concerts had been so blown away and awe-struck at her talents. What else was Aerith hiding from him? For someone so undoubtedly musically inclined, she put on zero airs about herself nor ever boasted about her gifts.

And Aerith was a gift – in more ways than one.

He looked up at her now sitting on the bench on the pristine white piano perched against the windowpanes. When he caught her gesturing to take a seat beside him on the piano stool, he quirked an inquiring eyebrow, wondering at her intentions. He heeded her request, anyway, and slid into the spot next to her before the piano. 

The afternoon rays reflected off her lovely upturned face into his, its beacon of lights playing with the rosiness of her cheeks to cast her entire face into a masterpiece. Cloud fought to breathe. Here was a work of art in mortal form within her soul.

She had brought her delicate fingers to linger above the monochromatic black and white keys, adding a smile onto her self-portrait he witnessed lighting up the entire room.

Breathing was difficult, he thought helplessly, as the heat clamoured at his neck when her eyes sought his across strips of white sunlight.

“Want to hear my latest composition?” She asked, a twinkle beneath her lashes.

It was he could do to swallow and nod dumbly as he watched her fingers danced over the ivories.

In the interim of one heartbeat to the next, Aerith transformed the piano to a river; an angel; a bird that sung with wonder, turning every note with a touch of her fingers like magic wand that turned into a sigh, then into a spell that numbed his very soul. She had played a melody so sweet and soft, caressing her fingers across the keys so gently, it weaved altogether poignant lines of poetry syncing in harmony, embedding into the corners of his heart.

It was as if she had transposed all the bittersweet, nostalgic memories gathered in her reverie, to sprint across the octaves her fingertips now glided over with unmistakable mastery. He could feel every rush of clear water, every soft-scented breeze, unraveling her story into the confines of the room that knew no more space nor time.

When she had finished, all coherent words diminished and died in his throat. He could only stare at her; stare at her intrinsic beauty, and it dawned on him right there and then— this woman was the paradigm of everything ethereal and surreal. As unreal as the melody she had played to have imprisoned his heart into her notes so.

“You…like it?” She was gauging his emotions carefully for a response.

He cleared his throat, tried to steady his voice. It came out a low rasp, “Yes.” He meant it.

She seemed to have sense his sincerity, for she now smiled wholeheartedly. “Really? What do you think I should call it then? I’ve been thinking of a title for the longest time.”

He paused to contemplate her question, then the words had raced ahead from his mouth before his thoughts had finished, and he blurted out, “Um…Aerith’s Theme?”

Her eyes grew slightly. As if his words had struck a chord within her, she broke out into soft giggles. “Aerith’s Theme,” she repeated beneath her breath.

He honestly thought it suited her music best. Every melody that had rung out like balm to his wounds had reminded him of _her._

“Wanna know something, Cloud?” There was so much light waltzing from the corner of her eyes that it stirred in him warm, fluttering sensations.

“What?” He asked breathlessly.

She held his gaze. There was so much radiance glowing on her porcelain skin, Cloud thought if he ever was that lost sailor out on sea in the dark abyss of night, he needed only to look into her direction to seek the beacon of light to find his way back home.

“I…wrote the song for you,” she confessed, a gentle smile gracing her lips.

Cloud felt as if someone had hammered his heart with a bat, hard.

His breath escaped his lungs.

He could not take his eyes off her, nor the manner she had smiled at him like she was an angel heaven-sent. _His_ angel.

With his mind drawing a blank abruptly from her words, he was left to only stare at her with mouth agape.

 _She wrote the song for me?_ His mind sought to piece two and two together. He could not for the life of him understand.

She lifted a finger to touch his cheeks. She was trembling as their eyes met across ivory keys.

Her unwavering smile had stolen time and all sense out of him as he let her fingers trace his jaw.

“Why,” his throat ran dry, his voice sounding hoarse, “Why would you do that?”

She looked so sweet, so tender, he suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to cover her hand in his. He was drawing deep, steadying breaths to calm his overly manic pulse as she chewed on her lips, thinking her answer through.

“Because…” she was searching for the right words as she gazed at him for a long moment. The tension vibrated through the air between them, and then as if the strings had snapped slowly, one by one, she finally moved her lips to speak, her words falling like the gentlest raindrops melting every last icicle stored away in his heart.

She held his face in her hands.

He felt the tremor pass through him, shaking him to the core.

“Cloud,” her lips curved as the words flowed out of her as smoothly as water, “Do you know what are some things that _fall_?”

He kept his tone unbelievably calm, none betraying the breaths inside him being stolen by her enrapturing smile. “What?” He managed a choked word.

He watched her – fire in her hair, fire at the tips of her fingertips. She was absolutely, maddeningly, irrevocably perfect.

“Petals,” she started, then continued when he nodded at her to go on, “Snowflakes, rain…stars...leaves…” She tenderly traced the outlines of his eyelids, causing him to shiver and quail beneath her touch, “Teardrops…”

His heart thudded louder with every word she breathed.

“The sun,” she touched a finger to his lips.

His heart roared.

“And I,” she smiled softly, “for you.”

_And I, for you._

He swallowed at the gravity of her words hitting him full force, tiding over his heart like waves.

She looked so sincere, so earnest, something inside of him had responded, tightening with a yearning that was all at once familiar, and yet not familiar.

 _She…She loved him._ That much was for sure.

All he had to do was take one look in her eyes holding all the affections and love for him – and he knew, not just from the truth of her words, but with the galaxies of stars she held in her eyes, holding his entire universe together.

He had looked so stunned, his darting thoughts trying to put together the mush of entangled words in his brains, that she had certainly misinterpreted his shellshocked silence for rejection.

Suddenly aghast and mortified by the monstrosity of her straightforwardness, she had dipped her head, lowered her lashes, clasping and unclasping her hands into her lap fervently in a frantic resort to conceal the sudden crestfallen expression that had wrung her features.

“Y-You don’t have to say anything, Cloud, I just meant to—” She blurted out in a haste, until he had swiftly cut her off, taking her chin between his fingers, tilting her face towards his so she was forced to stare fully into his eyes the color of endless blue seas.

He hadn’t said anything, didn’t need to.

He had bent his head, and fastened his mouth against hers in a searing kiss that incinerated all the bones in her body.

“I—” Her eyes widened as she stared at their mouths fused together, him pressing his mouth to taste the texture of her exquisite lips in that swift movement.

It had been intended to be a brief but firm kiss, and he drew away then, staring into her blank eyes.

And in that moment when his eyes bored depths into hers, she had read between the lines every poetry in those ocean blues he wanted to recite, but didn’t need to.

Her eyes softened at their meaning, her fingers lifting to rest on his cheeks before she closed her eyes in the next fraction of second, meeting his mouth halfway as he swoop his head down to re-capture her lips in his one more time.

She melted into him, one touch of his lips sending a sizzle through her veins that demanded more. He slid his arms down her back, pulling her closer, his mouth deftly deepening the strokes against the slant of her lips, savoring every exquisite sweetness she was offering to him. Her pliant response fuelled him to mold her closer against him, as if she had been designed to fit within the strength of his arms encircling her small waist.

He began kissing her gently, tasting slowly, but when she had opened up to him, he now pressed her against him with an urgency that sparked fire in his blood. She raked her fingers through his hair, holding him as he claimed her mouth, tasting the scent of wildflowers as his tongue explored along every cavern and length. She was clutching his shoulders, meeting the fierceness of his lips with her own, and when he finally pulled away, they were looking at each other with ragged breaths and flushed cheeks.

Neither of them dared to speak first, searching each other’s eyes for long seconds of intensity before he had broken it, “Aerith, I—” His eyes were so tender and soft, her heart bloomed with a yearning bittersweet.

She stopped him with a finger to his lips. “Sssh.”

He had fallen back, and fallen _hard_ , and she had smiled because she knew.

Their eyes touched for the briefest of moment, and he knew there and then the smile on her face was the only grace he ever needed.

It was she who upturned her lovely face to him once more, lifting her lips to his like the featherlight wings of a butterfly, her breath ghosting against his face like the warmest of sun, until he could bear the distance no longer and drew her breathlessly to him to capture her mouth in his.

 _And I, for you, too, Aerith._

**TBC**

* * *

a/n:

I guess this chapter’s summary is a.k.a. how to say I love you without really saying those words – Clerith’s style. 😉

aww there you go 22 chapters and they finally confessed – ah, well sorta. Omg look at our boi all grown up sobs.

And yep..my strange logic as to how Aerith’s Theme came about. What if indeed, Aerith wrote it for Cloud? Wheee me and my AU brain lol.

Review/comment – tell me how you loved them Clerith kisses and how they had you popping by the Clerith dentist for another visit this week with that amount of sap lol.

Myst-san

** Poetry references:  **

Things that fall – Petals, teardrops, snowflakes, rain, stars, tides, eyelids, time, shadows, leaves, the sun, and I, for you. - @ivyandrose

When I saw you, I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew. – Arrigo Boito


	23. trap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud couldn’t breathe.   
> All he knew was that something had gone wrong. He needed to find Aerith, and soon.   
> …He was running out of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n:   
> onwards to the Scarlet saga! 
> 
> insert **heavy, heavy anti-Tifa/Cloti warning** in this chapter.  
> Please. If you, in any way, take any issues with even the smallest Tifa character bashing, I urge you to refrain from proceeding further ackk DON’T FLAME; DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN. 
> 
> Also insert **no beta-read warning.**
> 
> myst-san

**\--x chapter 23: trap**

Tiny specks of dust danced in the morning sunlight that slanted through the window, landing on the crescents of delicate eyelashes as they fluttered open. 

Aerith blinked in the dappled sunlight as she sought to orientate herself in her surroundings. She was in her bedroom, doubtless, yet as she rose and slipped on her bedroom slippers, she thought the blankets that had pooled around her smelt of something _different._

Something familiar and homely all at once, drifted into her senses – _chlorine,_ and _cinder_. Him.

She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes acquiring a shimmer as she noted the distinct black hooded jacket draped around her shoulders. The Zanarkand Raiders team logo embossed on the front pocket gleamed visibly white against the black fabric, and a vision of the jacket’s owner flashed across her mind.

Last night…

Last night’s memories returned to her, squeezing her chest as she recalled them having gone on their second date. Well, sort of. More like after their bone-incinerating kiss at her apartment, they had headed off to Nanaki’s violin shop to get her instrument fixed, with the intentions to continue their date elsewhere only to be too put off by the hot sun outdoors. It had been an unanimous decision afterwards between them to return to her apartment to catch a movie screening on TV while ordering in dinner takeaways. And although Aerith couldn’t remember anything much later when she had fallen asleep on the couch in the middle of the movie, she vaguely remembered the faint outlines of his face as he carried her to her bed.

 _He must have left his jacket behind, on me._ She thought, butterflies escaping her stomach all at once.

She reached for her phone, and the butterflies somersaulted in her insides as she read the message he had left her last night after he had put her into bed and gone home. 

_“Hey, sleepyhead. Meet me at the Life Sciences cafeteria at noon. I’ll bring you for your prac after lunch. – Cloud.”_

Her pulse raced. Lunch – with Cloud?

“Is he…Is he asking me out for lunch?” Aerith crinkled her nose in half confusion half amusement, and then her throat had closed in sudden nervousness despite gleefulness gaining the upperhand on her expression. Her smile deepened into a broad grin, and she had jumped to her feet and scurried to her wardrobe in seconds.

A lunch date. With Cloud? _Oh. My. God._

Now, what would she wear? What would any woman wear to meet with a dashing man like Cloud Strife? Crumbs, sifting through her wardrobe to find something decent to wear was proving to be a headache.

She picked up her phone hastily, remembering he was still waiting for her reply.

_“Roger that, Mister. See you later. ^_^“_

Her senses whirred with a hint of exhilaration, trying to think through her schedule for the rest of the day when a bouquet of yellow lilies with violet forget-me-nots caught the corner of her eyes sitting on her desk. Her eyes rounded. In her excitement, she had almost forgotten about the flower delivery she was due to make this afternoon to a customer on campus who had made an order.

Her phone beeped once more. Curious, she glanced at its content half-expecting it was most likely Cloud, but the message had been sent from an anonymous number.

_“Morning, Aerith! I’m your customer who had ordered for the flowers to be delivered to my girlfriend at the Medicine Faculty for this afternoon. Unfortunately she’s leaving town earlier today than expected so I’d like the flowers to be delivered to her by noon if that’s possible? I’ll email you her location at the lab. Thank you!”_

Aerith blinked. By noon?

She checked the time and hurried to pick out her best dress from the wardrobe, all this while valiantly fighting the smile spreading across her face.

It wasn’t a long walk to the Medicine Faculty – she would be able to make it there and back to the cafeteria by noon. And then she couldn’t wait to meet Madame M and her string quartet friends to make up for her absence the last time.

She’d best hurry.

* * *

Cloud sat in the cafeteria, slowly sipping the cold milk in his hands as he looked at his phone screen over and over again, all this while trying desperately to fight a smile making its way onto his face.

It was noon, and the university lunch crowds were gathering in throngs at peak hour. Some female undergraduates as usual picked the seats closest to the star player’s cafeteria table, surreptitiously chatting away with their peers excitedly. Cloud paid no heed whatsoever to their not-so-subtle finger-jutting in his direction.

His attention was completely invested in that one phone text staring back at him.

It was Aerith’s text she had just sent through, and he had lost count the number of times he had repeatedly read through the message. More often than not, he would absentmindedly click on her profile picture – it was a picture of her smiling radiantly with her hair tumbling loose over her shoulders as she posed with a strawberry ice cream cone in her hands.

He remembered that snapshot – how could he not? He was the one who had taken it, after all. That night after the Blitzball Gala and they had left the Grand Hotel to get some ice cream afterwards, and she had handed him her phone to capture a picture of her eating out of an ice cream cone. It had taken him every ounce of willpower to resist the temptation of running his thumb across her lips smattered with ice cream stains. 

Noticing the time, his forehead creased in worry. Aerith was running late past their scheduled time to meet. Very much unlike her, who was usually punctual to a fault. Perhaps she had overslept? She had been awfully tired last night, after all.

Slightly anxious, he dialled for her number, only to hear it ring endlessly on the line.

An odd, dull sensation sank into his chest. Surely he wasn’t being overly paranoid about her tardiness? Yet, Cloud couldn’t help the concern clouding his expression.

“Cloud?”

He raised his eyes, half anticipating the source of voice to reveal the woman he loved. Instead, the woman with glossy black hair and ruby-wine eyes was making her way towards him, waving brightly.

His lips tightened. _Tifa. What was she doing here?_

“Mind if I join you?”

She placed her lunch tray in front of Cloud, and was already speaking quickly before he could change his mind. They had ended things on an awkward note the last time she had straddled him on his bed and he had sent Tifa out of his room when the sight had caused an upset Aerith to flee.

They hadn’t since exchanged a word in person.

“Uh, I’m not, sure Tifa,” Cloud eyed the cafeteria clock hesitantly, knowing the last thing he wanted now was Aerith to arrive at this inopportune time and catch him and Tifa together. Cloud swore he would never put Aerith through the same kind of hurt again.

“Tifa, maybe this isn’t a good idea,” Cloud sighed, blurting out the blunt truth.

“Why not?” She asked while chewing into her sandwich innocently.

“I…” He trailed off, staring at the cold milk on the table.

“Are you waiting for someone?” Tifa asked, a strange look settling in her eyes. Her ruby-wine eyes had darkened as they examined the man before her. “…Aerith?”

Cloud looked away, fiddling with the empty milk packet in his hands. One syllable. An honest answer he knew to give that would suffice. “Yes.” 

Silence passed between them. Tifa was the first to speak, slicing through the unbearable tension that had arisen into the air, “Wait… Didn’t Aerith tell you?”

Cloud lifted his gaze, surprise showing in his eyes, “Tell me what?”

Tifa smiled, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. It wasn’t like she was oblivious to everything stirring around campus lately. She had seen the news flooding university forums and social media everywhere she went – pictures of Cloud and Aerith together; him carrying her to the infirmary, them disappearing into the direction of her apartment, them holding hands as they strolled back into campus from the outdoors…

No, they were all _everything_ she had seen lately, and it was driving Tifa up the wall, nailing her to her deathbed there.

In truth, she could bear it no longer. The thought that Cloud no longer belonged to her was driving a gaping hole into her chest. One that scarcely left her lungs breathing intact anymore.

Perhaps…perhaps they could say she was simply driven into this without a choice. But there was no changing her decision once she had made up her mind.

She opened her mouth to speak, addressing Cloud’s increasingly curious expression.

“Aerith’s string quartet practice got moved earlier. I saw her pass me by along the residence walkways awhile ago. I guess she must be there by now. She didn’t tell you?”

Surprise registered in his eyes. “No, she didn’t mention it,” he admitted.

Yet there was no denying that unpleasant sensation that gnawed at his insides, weighing at him like a boulder. There was a look in Tifa’s eyes he hadn’t witnessed before, and he wasn’t sure he liked it.

“Well, she told me to pass the message to you since I’m on the way here. Plus her phone’s running low on battery.” Tifa shrugged, “Says she’ll make up for lunch with you another time. It’s not a crime then I join you for lunch instead, is it?”

Cloud shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “No, I guess not.”

He had found it odd, though, that Aerith had texted him just awhile ago agreeing to have lunch together only to have her schedule altered quickly. But then it probably wasn’t a good idea to query her about it now if he didn’t want to disturb her strings practice.

Tifa’s lips twitched, although it had resembled something more of a smirk.

“Great, I was thinking we can pick her up together after her string quartet prac. Sounds good? Why don’t we go catch a movie in the meantime while waiting for Aerith?”

She waved two tickets in Cloud’s face. “My roommate Jessie’s passed me these spare movie tickets – I’m sure we could put it to good use now, huh, Cloud?”

Suddenly, Cloud wasn’t sure if he wanted to be here, or anywhere alone near Tifa, in fact.

He hadn’t thought he would live to a day where spending time alone with another woman who wasn’t Aerith would irk him, but right now, his instincts were screaming at him to stand up and leave while he had the chance.

“C’mon Cloud,” Tifa coaxed gently, “I know how you feel about Aerith. Don’t worry, I’m happy for the both of you. How about this,” Her eyes held his, “Think of this as…one last time spent with your childhood friend heading to the movies?”

He sighed resignedly, sliding his hands into his pockets. If he could appease Tifa like she requested, perhaps catching this movie with her would get her to finally back off in future. Like she said, ‘one last time together’. It wouldn’t really hurt…would it?

“I…I guess,” he reluctantly agreed, although no sooner had the words drifted from his lips that he felt a hammer punch into his chest at the gravity of the circumstances he had unwittingly brought himself into.

Cloud stared at the clock. He only hoped to finish the movie with Tifa in time to swing by the music faculty and pick Aerith up after.

* * *

_Research Lab 96…97…98…_

  1. _This should be it._



Aerith checked the lab address delivered to her email inbox against the signs on the door. She was at the Medicine Faculty, a venue she wasn’t very familiar with, and was relying on the email conveying to her the lab coordinates to direct her to the right place.

The anonymous customer had asked for the flowers to be delivered to his girlfriend waiting in Research Lab 99.

Aerith scrutinised the artfully-arranged bouquet she had prepared in her hands – a fitting mix of yellow lilies and violet forget-me-nots that would brighten anyone’s day, yet something awry about the blooms had caught her keen eye.

A frown tugged at her lips. Gaia, how had she not noticed the lily petals having shed quite abit on her way to the lab? Those petals must have scattered somewhere across the university grounds, and now those two stalks of yellow lilies looked almost bare in an unpresentable state.

Sighing, Aerith plucked both undesirable-looking yellow lilies from the bouquet. At least the overall look of the flowers wasn’t affected much – not even a discerning customer would have noticed.

Satisfied, Aerith pushed herself through the doors of the lab and found herself being blasted with cold air. Goosebumps raised from her skin, and she rubbed her shoulders feeling suddenly chilly.

In front of her, there were seemingly endless rows of test-tubes and samples of substances kept in controlled environments, trapped in glass compartments. The room was frigid cold, reminding Aerith of the harsh winters she had experienced before in the Great Glacier during her childhood vacations with her mom.

Aerith shuddered to think if she had pursued Medicine instead. Surely she would have missed the warmth of melodious music and the feel of violin in her hands. Plus, she would never have met Cloud when he had literally collided into her in the music faculty building.

Fighting a smile at the significant memory, she glanced around, wondering where this ‘girlfriend’ of her customer could be.

“Hello? Is there anyone here?” Aerith called out. Her voice resonated around the confines of the lab and echoed back to her as ghostly as they had travelled.

She took a step back, not sure if she was liking this place already. It was eerily quiet. An uneasy sensation had arisen in her chest.

It was then she heard a sound from the other end of the room. Aerith had jumped, then berated herself for being so childishly afraid of something that didn’t warrant such fear.

Yet, ghosts and spirits _weren’t_ exactly her thing.

“Anyone at the back?” Aerith calmed herself down before moving to the adjacent door left slightly ajar. The entrance seemed to lead deeper into the research lab. 

She pushed it open.

“Hellooo?”

She eyed the deeper abyss of the research lab. Gaia, it was _freezing_ in here – much, much colder than the previous room she had been. She placed the bouquet of flowers down gently to rub her shoulders for warmth.

Her lips were shivering before she realized; her teeth chattering away. Where was this cryptic customer’s girlfriend? This was perhaps the most troublesome flower delivery she had to make in her experience of running her floral business.

Sighing, Aerith was about to drop the idea of delivering the flowers and head back when she had heard a door slamming.

Her heart jumped to her throat. She spun around, senses fully alert.

A silhouette had materialized before the door.

The room was dimly lit, and Aerith had to squint to try and make out the shadowy figure now making its way towards her.

Heart pounding at the ghostly apparition, Aerith had backed up against the wall.

“W-Who are you?” Aerith stammered.

“Hello, Gainsborough. Nice to meet you again.” The voice had spoken – smooth and slick.

Aerith’s fog of vision finally orientated to the darkness of the room, and she could at last make out the outlines of the face that now appeared before her vision.

She froze.

“S-Scarlet?”

* * *

There was an uneasy quiet to Cloud as he held the popcorn bucket Tifa had handed to him.

They were standing outside the university cineplex. Tifa wore a smile on her face as she turned to Cloud, not hiding her excitement well at heading to the cinema to catch the blockbuster film that had been taking Gaia by storm lately. And to think she could catch the film with the one person who mattered most to her – she couldn’t help but feel the anticipation build up in her chest.

“Tickets with me. Ready Cloud?”

She ushered him into the cinema. Tifa smiled inwardly – she had intentionally asked the customer service lady manning the kiosk to reserve her two couple seats in a corner of the theatre.

She took a deep breath, signalling for Cloud to settle into the seat next to her. 

Tifa was certain within the interim of the film showing, she would get Cloud to change his mind. This way, even if Cloud _thought_ he had feelings for the amber-haired violinist, those pesky emotions of his would surely be forgotten when Tifa would finally make her move. She wasn’t going to lose to ‘a blip in his presence’. Not a chance, not ever.

It was only fair. She had known Cloud first. He was hers to begin with, naturally.

Tifa admitted to herself in retrospect that she had been too passive in the past, taking Cloud for granted. And of course when Aerith had appeared, all sprightly and flirtatious, he had gotten temporarily _distracted_ by the violinist’s charms, nothing more.

Tifa bit her lips, resolutely determined.

_This time, I’ll make the moves, Cloud. And you’ll forget about any other blips in your life._

She had made up her mind. She would seduce the star player if she had to. Tifa knew full well she wasn’t regarded as the university’s most sought-after beauty for no reason. She had her looks to back her title up, not forgetting the efforts she had spent daily in the gym to shape her body into womanly perfection. 

Tifa sat straighter in her seat, noting with marvel at her own bosom that it had done her good to wear a scooped tank top today to emphasize her best assets. She would need to use the most of her physical charms today, if she intended to topple Cloud’s other unimportant priorities and re-assert herself firmly into his life.

“The movie’s starting,” Tifa leant closer to Cloud, brushing the lines of her cleavage against his arm.

She felt him instantly spring away from her touch.

Tifa narrowed her eyes. Was he just pretending to be all shy and nervous around her? Then again, she didn’t blame him. Most men would be in her presence. 

Regardless, it was time to act.

She reached for his hand in the dark, and then with a final exhalation of her breath, had curled her fingers around his.

Her heart soared, then shattered just as quickly when she felt him snatch his hand away as if he had been bitten.

She watched him jump up in his seat, watched him shake his head, watched him place the popcorn bucket down.

Watched the fire burnt in his eyes – anger at her action, but passion for somebody else, altogether.

 _No, no, no, no, no,_ Tifa thought in dismay. _No, Cloud, no._

Yet Tifa knew her heart had splintered beyond belief.

“Don’t, Tifa.” He had snapped, really snapped. It was the first time Tifa had heard him raise his voice at her.

Before he could make a dash out of the theatre, she had gripped him fiercely by the wrist, causing him to stop in his tracks. Some of the onlookers were beginning to stare at them strangely. The movie was starting in a few seconds – what was _she_ doing?

“Cloud. Stay.” Her eyes silently begged his.

He pried her fingers off his arm and shot her one last apologetic look burning her into a million shards. “I can’t. I’ve got to go, Tifa.”

And he was gone. Just like the last time he had ran like hell when Tifa had introduced him to Aerith backstage as her date.

A hole scissored into Tifa’s heart as she watched him disappear. Then she had picked up her phone and dialled a number, her own voice trembling to her ears.

“What news are you bringing me, Lockhart?” A voice boomed over the phone.

“I…I couldn’t hold him back. I’ve lost him; he’s gone. I’m sorry.”

“You had one job, Tifa! One job!”

Tifa was nearly in tears as she hung up. Her lips quavered, and the tears rolled onto her cheeks.

She didn’t know which was worse. That she had done Aerith a disfavour and agreed to participate in this stupid, foolish thing that now twinged her regret stronger than ever, or that she had lost her place and been dethroned as queen of Cloud’s heart.

* * *

Cloud slowed to a jog, his breaths sounding heavy to his own ears.

Everything seemed wrong. Going to the movies with Tifa, Tifa holding his hand –

He clenched his fist tighter.

The only hand he ever wanted to hold until he lived to a hundred was that of Aerith Gainsborough. None other could compare.

He steadied himself, shutting his eyes. Something akin to shame and guilt had flooded his chest.

Hell, he _cared._ He _cared_ what Aerith thought. He _cared_ if his actions hurt her. He _cared_ especially that he was acting like a douchebag; a jerk that was playing himself into another woman’s hands when his heart clearly belonged to another.

_God, I’m so stupid._

He was already breaking into a slow jog towards the music faculty, despite knowing Aerith would be busy at strings practice. Yet he knew only that he had to see her; he needn’t even hold her. He needed to know that she didn’t blame him for having acted like a fuckin’ idiot.

“Cloud?” Madame M had looked up at his approaching figure in her chair as she stood up to grace the spikey-haired man’s presence.

Cloud immediately sensed something was wrong as he stood outside the music rehearsal room. The other string quartet members – he recognized them from the faces Aerith had pointed out to him the other day – Serah, Rinoa and Lunafreya, were looking at him with worry and confusion all over their faces.

His eyes frantically sought the room, every passing second chipping away a piece of his heart slowly.

No sign of Aerith.

No. No, _not again._

“Where is Aerith?” He had instantly seized Madame M’s shoulders, clutching her tightly as anxiety raked his expression. The lines of his forehead strung taut like the tension against his jaw.

Madame M shook her head, “I was just about to ask you, Cloud. She’s late, very late. Where’s this girlfriend of yours, Mister?”

His knees quavered, promising to give way as racing thoughts ran amok like a maelstrom in his head. He was holding onto Madame M as if onto dear life now, and when the older woman cast him a sympathetic look, everything came together piece by piece.

 _Where is she?_ _I…I don’t know._

He looked, horrified, around the room. The other three ladies could only respond with a despondent shake of their heads.

“What do you mean she’s not here? Did you all not move the practice forward earlier?” He demanded, eyes now wide with a tangible mix of fear and anxiety.

“No…” Madame M exchanged confused glances with the other girls who looked equally puzzled, “Who told you that? Practice starts as usual. But Aerith didn’t turn up, anyway.”

_Fuck, no. No, this has got to be a dream. A bloody nightmare._

“Then where is she!?” He had nearly shouted, if not for Madame M trying to press her fingers down into his shoulders to calm him down.

“Cloud, I’m sure Aerith is alright.” But the older lady couldn’t hide her tone laced with concern at one of her quartet member’s strange disappearance. “We’ll wait a few more minutes and if she doesn’t turn up, we’ll split up to look for her, alright?”

“No,” his heart was exploding, the simmering embers in his eyes now raging as he spun and raced out of the door, “I’m going to go look for Aerith.”

Heart in his throat, noose around his neck, fear drove Cloud forward like a kind of madness teetering him gradually into berserk mode as he picked up his phone and dialled endlessly for her number.

 _Pick up, Aerith, pick up._ His thoughts convulsed in his mind like a tempest, worry and fear too strong and intense to tame his unsteady breaths and accelerating pulse. His phone reached a dial tone – he couldn’t get through.

He put a call through to Yuffie, then his housemates, all this while running like he was a mad bull let loose on campus.

“Help me find her, please,” his helpless tone had pleaded into the phone. They had understood immediately, all agreeing to search the campus while Vincent would take the car out with Lucrecia to continue the search outside.

Cloud wanted to collapse to the ground, taken down by fear and stress coursing through his veins so strongly he didn’t know if his legs could function. This time wasn’t like the last time. This time, he didn’t know where to begin looking, where she could be.

Hell, she could be in another part of Gaia and he would be looking for her like a needle in a haystack.

He was floored – he had no idea where to begin the search.

 _Her apartment._ He would start from the first place he knew she had left from this morning.

He sprinted all the way to her apartment with a burst of speed he had never known he was capable of even in his time growing up in the spherical pool, but the motivations churning through him were a thousand times more pressing this time.

He had nearly rammed through the door if Yuffie hadn’t opened it in time for him to barge into Aerith’s bedroom.

His eyes frantically scanned the surroundings. Her bedsheets had been left undone – she had apparently been in a hurry to head off somewhere. Something had waylaid her appointment to get to Madame M’s practice then…but what was it? Her wardrobe remained open; she had rushed to get dressed, too.

_Think, Strife, think!_

His desperate eyes raked the place, his heart beseeching for any hint of a fucking clue that could point him in the direction of the woman he loved.

And then he saw it.

It was a tiny detail so imperceptible, he would have missed it if he hadn’t given a second look. But it now distinctly flashed within his peripheral vision, the clue battering him like a sledgehammer.

It was a yellow lily petal, left lying on the floor.

He bent to pick it up, pulse accelerating.

His gaze followed the floor to the door, and he saw another yellow petal left lying a distance away.

His legs had sprung forward, beyond the door and out of her apartment, before Yuffie could hold him back.

_Follow the yellow flowers._

He ran, all this while searching for the occasional yellow petals left scattered on the ground. It was a maddening search – akin to looking for several acorns within a tree, but it was the only clue he had for now.

“Yo, Cloud! Where ya rushin’ off to, eh?” A cheerful voice jerked him away from his inflamed state of mind.

He could barely think, much less register the source of voice now speaking to him.

He looked up to see Jessie’s ecstatic face. God, he had no time for fangirls now!

“You lookin’ for Aerith?” Jessie giggled, clutching her hands to her chest, eyes dreamy, “Know what I think? You guys make such a damn cute couple! If I wasn’t crushin’ hard on you, Cloud, I’d have shipped the two of you right away—” Jessie yelped when Cloud had gripped her wrist hard.

“You know where is Aerith!? Have you seen her?” Cloud demanded, breathing heavily.

“Aerith?” Jessie looked confused, before a smirk crossed her face, “Have you two been fightin’—”

“Where is Aerith, dammit, Jessie!” Cloud was nearly shouting, and at the urgency of his tone, Jessie had quickly thrown her hands into the air.

“Relax, star player, I don’t know what’s going on between you two or whether she wants you to go after her if you guys have been fighting—”

“Jessie!!” Cloud’s voice broke, revealing an underlying tone so desperate that it had turned Jessie’s face suddenly serious.

“Okay, okay, relax,” Jessie could sense he wasn’t in the mood for games now. She nodded her head towards a specific direction, “I saw Aerith head over to the Medicine Faculty awhile ago—Wait! Where are you going, Cloud!?”

Jessie stared, utterly floored and bewildered by Cloud’s strange behaviour and how he had taken off in a flurry of wind towards the direction of the other building.

Jeez, she thought, quarrelling lovebirds were so difficult sometimes.

A few yards ahead of her, Cloud dialled Vincent’s number while his legs sprinted towards the faculty looming up ahead.

“Cloud, we haven’t found anything—”

“Meet me at the Medicine Faculty, Vin,” Cloud commanded into the phone, then hung up to hurry ahead.

He caught sight of the trail of yellow petals, increasing in their frequency as he ran up the steps leading into the building lobby.

His difficulty to draw breaths – whether from all that exertion of running, all from the mix of fear and anxiety storming into every inch of his limbs – he wasn’t sure.

All he knew was that his gut instincts had told him something was wrong. He needed to find Aerith, and soon.

…He was running out of time.

_Wait for me, Aerith. I’m coming for you._

**tbc**

* * *

a/n:

Anyone else recognizes the ‘follow the yellow flowers’ and ‘I’m coming for you’ Remake motifs in this chapter? Heh and did anyone else saw Tifa’s involvement in all this coming!?

anyway this chapter had been a pain to write, seriously. It had given me migraines because action/suspense is not within my comfort zone.

Also I have **something** to confess:

I had initially drafted a chapter preceding this, fleshing out the remainder of Clerith’s date after their kiss at Aerith’s apartment…but then I got anxious that some readers would rather get the Scarlet saga going instead of churning out more Clerith plotless fluff…so I abandoned the idea. BUT I thought of writing that filler chapter a.k.a. side-story about their date in a bonus chapter somewhere down the line eventually? IDK – how keen are you guys on reading that? (guaranteed sap and cavity-inducing lol)

Anyhow review/comment – lest I cliffhang you guys here and leave Cloud forever searching for Aerith! Kidding but yea..

Myst-san


	24. cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Aerith, where are you?!”   
> Please just let me hear her voice, he thought desperately.   
> There was a scratching silence at the end of the line. Reception was bad.  
> “Aerith, talk to me, please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n:   
> ack here you go. I know you want the action and everything asap so to save the suspense and prevent from talking too much – here you go ^^
> 
> I apologize in advance if this chapter is not as long – but I hope it suffices to get the plot moving. 
> 
> myst-san

**\--x chapter 24: cold**

“Scarlet?” Aerith’s mind drew a blank as she eyed the lady in red advancing towards her, “Why are you here?”

A malicious smirk lifted from the end of Scarlet’s lips. “What do you think, my dear Gainsborough?”

Aerith didn’t like the sinister glint in those eyes. She hadn’t known Scarlet very well, yet there was something off-putting; disconcerting about the haunted look on the older woman’s face. As Scarlet swiftly closed the gap between them, Aerith found herself backing up against the wall before she had realized.

“I…I’m afraid I don’t understand, Scarlet,” the amber-haired lady told truthfully, shaking her head. A dozen questions filtered through her mind – what was Scarlet doing all the way here? Whatever did she want?

The answer she sought came quickly.

Scarlet looked at her wristwatch, her smirk ever so widening, “Trapping you here, so you won’t be able to attend your beloved strings quartet practice…” and after a dramatic pause, continued, “which is unfortunately taking place right now.”

“W-Wha?” Aerith felt the fear shackling her limbs as she desperately surveyed her environment for an escape route out of the room.

Surely Scarlet wasn’t acting like her normal self. In fact, the baleful laughter Scarlet had bellowed out next convinced Aerith the woman was most likely irrational. And mad.

_Calm down, Aerith. Try and reason with her._

“Scarlet, what exactly do you want with me? I…I have to go.” With that said, Aerith had tried to make a sideway jostle out of Scarlet’s grasp, towards the door, but the woman had quickly waylaid her escape.

“Oh no, darling,” Scarlet lunged forward, causing fear to hang in Aerith’s eyes like tangled ribbons of moss green as the woman combed her fingers through Aerith’s hair, delighting in having frightened the amber-haired lady at last, “You’re staying here, _trapped,_ until your strings quartet practice ends, and you miss all of it. And then Madame M and the Gaia World Orchestra will have no choice but to fire you as first violinist.”

Confusion and a bold sort of defiance had lit up in Aerith’s eyes now, as the realization of Scarlet’s demands and motivations had somewhat settled into her knowledge. Still, it didn’t stop the amber-haired lady’s heart from thudding rapidly even as she lifted her chin boldly towards Scarlet, fighting not to let the fear show on her features.

“Why are you doing this, Scarlet?” Aerith’s question came out a quavering whisper, but it held a quiet strength and spirit. “I don’t understand, I thought you were my _friend—”_

“Friend! Hah!” Scarlet spat the word out, her face recoiling in disgust, “Don’t use the word on me, Aerith – we were never friends.”

Everything fell into place, one by one. All of it – the incidents in school, the cyber-bullying, the rumours, the sleepless nights, the endless worrying.

“So…you were the one,” Aerith spoke each word evenly; slowly, deliberately trying to buy herself time as the gravity of her circumstances sank into her wits, “Of all people, Scarlet…I never would have expected you.”

And it was true. Aerith had never once doubted her fellow musician friend who sat in the next chair beside her in university orchestra. Never thought Scarlet would ever dream of plotting against her.

Emerald eyes bored steady into icy blue ones. “Why?”

“Why?” Scarlet nearly screamed in disbelief, and had started pacing furiously around the room, rage flaring in her eyes, “You ask me why, Aerith? We could have been friends. _Could have_.” Her tone broke, bitter; resentful, letting years of bitter emotions swell in her throat and flood from her lips like a broken dam.

“But you had to take everything away from me, Aerith.” Fury ignited Scarlet’s face, signifying irrational anger, and something deeper – envy, jealousy. The pain of bottling up wanting so much but not having any. “I pleaded to you back when we were in high school, to not audition alongside with me to fight for the only spot left open for the conservatory music scholarship. But you never listened. Goddamit, Aerith, you never do. No, you’re too stubborn for your own damn good.”

The woman sprung onto Aerith, her face stopping centimetres shy from the amber-haired girl who was still bravely looking into Scarlet’s eyes. The only giveaway of her fear was her trembling lips, as her eyes tirelessly searched and glimpsed for a chance to escape.

 _Try reasoning with her, Aerith. Calm her down. Whatever it takes to buy more time._ But what to say? An apology was a good start.

“I apologize, Scarlet, if my decision back then had affected you,” Aerith played for time while scanning her surrounding hastily. She was in a research lab and the door was closed behind her, but she wasn’t exactly trapped. Not yet.

If only she could get past the woman unceasingly lashing out in front of her…If only. 

“Affected!? Gwah haha,” Scarlet laughed, clutching at her sides to emphasize the incredulity of Aerith’s words, “You _ruined_ my life, Aerith. You stole my only chance to get into Zanarkand University on a scholarship. Without the financial aid, my parents would never agree to fund my studies. I slogged the next few years juggling three – no, four- jobs to pay off my rent, my school fees. My parents abandoned me; called me a waste of space for studying music that would only suck the family into more financial ruin than it would ever profit them. I moved out to live on my own – did things get better?

No. You had to take everything else away – my shot at being Concertmistress in the orchestra went to _you._ All the multiple recital debuts that could have been mine went to _you._ Professors favoured _you._ Every fuckin’ musician in our faculty wanted to work with _you,_ not me, Aerith.”

Aerith swallowed. Something akin to gasoline had sparked the fear in her belly, spreading over her body with cold invisible tentacles. She had observed the iciness and apathy in Scarlet’s eyes – and it _frightened_ the hell out of her. The woman in red was rambling on, the words flowing out of her like lava from a hot volcano, spilling over Aerith.

“So what right have you got to be blessed with all the good things in life while I’m left here to rot in second place, Aerith? What right have you got to be dating the most popular athlete in Gaia? What right have you got to date the man most important to my life? You had to take _that_ away from me, too!?”

Despite Aerith’s body physically shaking from the tremendous cold of the room now wrecking her senses, as well as from the fear of Scarlet’s madness, she willed herself to look squarely at the woman’s face without so much as giving away a quail. 

But Aerith knew there was no point trying to talk someone who was blinded with anger. She could only hope to find a way out, or buy more time while waiting for help outside.

But who would come for her? She thought dismally. Who would have known she was here at the research lab all the way at this far-end Medicine Faculty on campus?

If only she could get through to Scarlet…

“Scarlet,” Aerith steadied her voice, “If I had hurt you, I take responsibility and apologize for—”

“You and your fucking apologies!” Scarlet screamed, causing Aerith to flinch involuntarily, “Enough, I won’t hear anymore. You’re just going to be a patient, good girl for me, sit here and wait until strings practice is over.”

Maniacal laughter snatched from her throat. Scarlet twirled in her spot, the ends of her magenta dress turning behind her, “Wait and see. Madame M will hand me your coveted position, Aerith, when you’re fired. I’ll be first violinist – and you? _Nothing._ ”

Fear lodged a bullet in Aerith’s throat, quickening her breaths as she watched with dread Scarlet moving towards the door.

Aerith was about to run ahead of Scarlet, her instincts screaming to get to the door, only to have the woman beat her to it in seconds.

“Patience, Gainsborough,” were Scarlet’s curt words before she slammed the door in Aerith’s face.

As another chilly blast of air blew harshly onto Aerith’s face, it hit her with the horrible realization that Scarlet had bolted the door from outside.

“No!” Aerith slammed her fists, pounding against the heavy metal door. “Scarlet, let me out! We can talk over this, properly. Just between us, I promise—”

“Oh, will you quit your whining, Gainsborough? You’re only going to be in there for an hour or so. You’re not going to die.”

So much scorn laced the woman’s tone, it made Aerith’s heart quail in disbelief. However had she offended Scarlet and made the woman loathe her so?

“Scarlet, please, let’s talk over this like adults.” Aerith was now using her entire body weight to throw herself against the wall, but she might as well be trying to move mountains. Nothing budged.

The only response was Scarlet’s cold, indifferent laughter _Gwa-hah-hah!_ trailing off into the distance, before silence greeted her.

 _No…No, no, no, Scarlet, no!_ Aerith exhaled staggering breaths, and in despondency had sunk into the wall behind her, her world plunging into the dark, dismal abyss of hopelessness all at once. Her knuckles were reddened and bleeding from having pounded incessantly against the door to no avail, and she was beginning to shiver unstoppably from the cold biting against her skin.

Aerith stared down at her arms – goosebumps rising from the frigid cold. An hour or so in here? If she could endure the Great Glacier-cold that was, clad in the sheer fabric of her summer dress.

She pulled out her phone from her pocket, the last of her hopes destroyed when she realized there was no way she was getting any signal nor reception from this far-end isolated spot on campus. 

…No one would find her here.

She buried her face in her knees brought to her face, letting her entire body throb with the sheer force of disbelief and fear overwhelming her senses altogether. The first droplet of tear was stinging at her eyes, and she rubbed it away furiously.

_Don’t cry, Aerith. Think of how to get out of here._

She looked around. There had to be another way.

She closed her eyes, and silently prayed that time that was now a ticking bomb would be on her side.

Outside, Scarlet strutted off like a proud peacock, her body tingling with anticipation as she awaited her new fate as the next sought-after violinist once Aerith was rid of. That would then grant her all the boost of popularity and the platform she needed to at last propel herself into the media limelight – and then she would be able to finally win not just Cloud’s heart, but that of any other man that she desired.

She laughed, fanning herself. The smell of impending victory sure was sweet.

Unbeknownst to the irrational woman herself, she had when in the act of bolting the door, accidentally activated the freeze-lock switch which simultaneously turned on by default when the door had shut, inadvertently now lowering the room temperature of the research lab to below subzero temperatures.

Against the metal door Aerith was trapped against, the digital thermometer indicating 10 degrees Celsius previously had gradually dropped to a negative digit, slowly decreasing by the minute.

* * *

Primal fear worked Cloud’s mind into torture as he sprang past room after room in the Medicine Faculty. He cursed the vastness of the goddamn large building – where the fuck was he going to find Aerith in this expansive place?

_Please, let me be on time, please._

His heart lurched into his throat, along with the elevation of fear and anxiety clinging to his bones as he spotted the forlorn petals of a yellow lily waylaying his path mid-way up the stairs leading to a narrow corridor.

_Yellow lily. Hers._

She was here.

Aerith.

The cogs in in his mind were now wheeling with decreasing self-control. He had never known such anger, fury, fear and worry altogether before, and he wasn’t certain he would be able to hold himself back from sending a ramming punch into someone – anyone – if anything ungodly happened to Aerith.

_You were supposed to protect her, Strife. You had ONE fuckin’ job, and you screwed it up. And where were you? Watching a movie with another girl. You fucking asshole._

If she wasn’t safe – if something happened to her –

His fists clenched tight. He would never forgive himself.

Just as he was taking three strides a time to comb the expanse of the large, empty corridors and the adjoining rooms, his phone rang.

Lungs constricted, his fingers trembled as his eyes registered the caller.

_Aerith._

“Aerith, where are you?!” His voice broke. His hands clutched the phone tightly to his ear.

_Please just let me hear her damn voice. Please._

There was a scratching silence at the end. Cloud struggled to hear anything else. Reception was bad – the cackles and static noises signalled that fact crystal clear.

“Aerith, talk to me,” his fingers gripped the phone closer, heart hammering loudly, “ _please._ ”

“C-Cloud,” her voice had at last filtered through – weak, soft, nearly a rasping whisper. The weakness in her voice broke Cloud’s heart into two.

“Where are you!?”

“C-cold,” he could hear her teeth chattering on the end, but she hadn’t had the strength to say anymore.

“Wait right where you are, Aerith. I’m coming for you _.”_

Before he could say another word, the line had cut her off.

_Fuck!_

Cloud wanted to slam his phone down in fury and desperation. Fear tortured his guts, engulfing his senses until he could scarcely think. Wherever she was, the tone in her voice had frightened the life out of him. She was in danger, that was for sure.

And why was she cold? Just where the hell was she!?

Cloud collapsed onto the ground in a heap, slamming his fists into the floor. As the oxygen flooded in and out of his lungs, cutting through like painful knives, a thought exploded inside of him. 

He hastily dialled for Vincent’s number.

“Vin, put Lucrecia through. I need her to talk to me, _now_.”

When Lucrecia answered the phone, Cloud had wasted no time asking.

“Lucrecia, you’re familiar with the Medicine Faculty. Aerith is somewhere – I don’t know where, dammit, and the line cut off before she could tell me. But she was shivering, and cold. Do you know where she might be? Does that make any sense to you?” Cloud demanded to know.

There was a short silence across the line, before Lucrecia’s deathly still voice deathly had broken through.

“Research labs 95 to 100. On the upper floors, at the end of the corridor. They house sample storage rooms that freeze below subzero temperatures. I can’t be sure, but Aerith might be in one of them. We’re almost at the building, Cloud. Hang in there with Aerith for us!”

Cloud mumbled a quick thanks and hung up, his lungs fighting for breath as he sprinted ahead to cover the last length of the deserted corridor ahead of him. The Medicine student crowds dissipated in numbers the higher the floors he went and the deeper the corridors he searched.

It wasn’t long before he saw the yellow petals, again.

Someone had definitely lured Aerith all the way here.

Cloud was going to kill that person if anything untoward happened to her.

His eyes scanned the space desperately.

Research lab 95.

His legs moved faster than his mind. He had literally unearthed three research labs and covered the entire perimeter and every inch now. Still no sign of Aerith.

Sweat drenched his skin. His calves were screaming hellish pain from all that fatigue from running, but his mind was far from succumbing to the search. So – this was what fear at its most animalistic emotion felt like, making him drastically exhausted, and weighing on him like a ton of bricks.

…Research lab 98.

_Nothing. Still nothing._

“Aerith!” He shouted, kicking open door after door. 

Nothing.

_Please, please, give me a damn sign, Aerith._

Research Lab 99.

Cloud stood outside, and instantly felt the cold air blasting through the holes beneath the door before he had even time to react. His eyes were ice, his jaw tight.

Aerith was inside – he could _feel_ her.

He pounded on the door. “Aerith!” Dammit, the door was bolted. It was shut, and there was a number pad code on the door he needed to key in to get through.

Wasting no time, he had fished for his phone to dial through once more to Vincent.

“Vin, ask Lucrecia what’s the damn password to get into Research Lab 99!”

The few seconds he waited for Lucrecia to search through her emails for the lab password had been the most painful seconds that stretched seemingly into eternity to Cloud. His body was drenched in sweat, but it was nothing compared to his heart drenched in sick fear at the thought of anything awful happening to Aerith.

When Lucrecia had finally shouted through the password which he had spent only split seconds successfully keying it in, the door had opened, and Cloud raced through like a berserk man on the loose.

“Aerith!”

Nothing. Not a sign.

He spotted another door to his right, and he nearly destroyed the entire door with his weight alone as he barged in.

His eyes searched the place, heart lurching to his throat. His face had turned ashen; his hands trembled like a leaf.

“Aerith!” His voice crackled. Thick like thunder, jolting like the storm.

She was lying on her back to the wall, unconscious, her body nearly white with cold.

_No, no, no, no._

He dashed to her side and reached for her.

She was cold as death. And unresponsive to his touch.

“Aerith, wake up,” he pleaded.

_I’m too late. I’m too fuckin’ late._

He felt for a pulse, and relief flooded into him like tidal waves when he could still make out one – but barely.

She was alive, for now.

His eyes darkening to the colour of the deepest thunderstorms for her safety and the probable fact that he was going to lose her if he didn’t hurry, he had gathered her into his arms and lifted her as he carried her out of the lab.

“Aerith, talk to me if you can hear me,” he tried again, his voice desperately urging to reach her. Yet her eyes remained shut, her skin pallid and icy cold against his, transforming his entire heart to a sheen of frost together with her lifeless touch.

_He was losing her._

He had nearly collided into Vincent and Lucrecia at the corridor, and they both stared, shocked at the sight of the unconscious girl in Cloud’s arms.

Vincent was the first to regain his composure, his expression sombre. “Outside! We’ve got a car. We need to take her to the hospital, _now._ ”

The next few moments passed like a blur to Cloud. He only remembered carrying Aerith in his arms hurrying past the hospital entrance shouting for a damn doctor, and the last he had seen of her was the nurses wheeling her past the A&E doors.

Through the moisture fogging at his vision and the haziness of his thoughts clamouring his mind, he was only vaguely aware of struggling against Barret and Cid having to physically hold him back before he could barge through the A&E doors after Aerith. Failing which, he had sunk against the wall, feeling defeated and utterly wretched.

Cloud only dimly heard Yuffie’s crying sobs somewhere in the corner of the hospital corridor, with Lucrecia and Shera consoling her, but none of the circumstances unfolding around him had mattered very much when his mind could scarcely think of anything else except Aerith.

…And the last he had seen her, she had been in his arms out cold, barely breathing.

He had failed to protect her. 

_You, Strife, are a lousy excuse of a man. You fucking idiot._

He clenched his fists, unaware he had dug his nails so tight into his skin he had left blood marks behind. His head hung so low, he nearly buried it into his knees brought to his face as he sat there, frozen and deathly still, on the cold of the hospital floor.

Even Vincent who approached him to squeeze his shoulders and assure him Aerith would be alright did nothing to ease the anxiety, worry and fear stringing his entire body into tautness.

When Barret and Cid later stepped forth to approach him, Vincent had shot them a glance to ask them to hang back. The latter shook his head, lips set in a tight line.

Cloud was inconsolable, they all knew. It was best to leave him be.

**TBC**

* * *

a/n:

ahhhh the ‘I’m coming for you’ - the ever timeless quote from Cloud in Remake.

How the hell did people (i.e. other ships) think that’s not at all romantic from Cloud, I have no idea XD like could it NOT get anymore obvious how the words strung together self-explains so much underlying romantic undertones and desperation? In Japanese, Cloud’s VA literally says ‘Mukae ni Iku’ – and one only need to google anime/manga to know how much that phrase has been re-used in romantic tropes LOL. The loose English translation ‘I’m coming for you’ already played down that romantic subtext =p

YASSSS. Fight me on that lol but then again aren’t we all Cleriths here? 😊

Review/comment – you know you want Aerith to be safe and sound and Cloud to be happy again. ^^

Myst-san


	25. bodyguard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Maybe we had met in another world, another lifetime, I don’t know, Cloud. It all sounds crazy, but who knows? Maybe Fate just decided we weren’t meant to be together.”   
> “No. Even if that’s true, this time, it’ll be different, Aerith.” 
> 
> This time, I will never let you go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n:   
> as usual, let’s get on the fic quick! I know you want to find out what happens to Clerith ^^   
> short chappie warning. 😊 argh, don’t kill me!   
> and yes, no friggin' beta-read. IT'S been twenty over chapters and...do I still need to do this lol. 
> 
> myst-san

**\--x chapter 25: bodyguard**

Cloud dreamt.

Old forgotten dreams that haunted his sleep all but consumed his thoughts, drowning his memories with such drive that even as he surrendered to a state of exhausted sleep, the feelings of fear, grief and weariness buried in the back of his brains betrayed his restfulness.

He saw the visions everywhere. A dream without stillness. Adversity; a breaking point; the gathering of sameness.

Trapped in a hazy, green forest where he was running desperately after _someone_ whom he wanted to only save, only to witness the flash of a silver longsword glint into the disquieting air before it hurled like an unstoppable projectile down into the flesh and bones of a faceless lady dressed in pale pink. Her hands still clasped in prayer. Eyes shut. All but ignorant to the world collapsing around her, and her imminent death.

All he could do in his dreams was watch and stand by helplessly as this madman whom he couldn’t see his face plunged the sword into the back of her abdomen, driving the entire length of the blade tearing through her flesh.

 _Noooo!!_ He wanted to scream, but no sound came out.

He could only stand by idly and watch as those eyes of the praying lady finally opened – shade of the greenest hues akin to the summer lush leaves – framed by her waves of distinct amber hair – gazing back into his, smiling, as if having long ago accepted her fate that this was meant to be. That she was meant to die this way – in the hands of the madman with his longsword through her abdomen. Meant to die praying while watching the man she loved in front of her helplessly do naught to save her.

_But…I let you die._

The thought consumed his mind in every fissure, seeping every energy out of his limbs as he stood powerlessly and watched the lady now collapse onto the floor.

Amber hair, green eyes. The lady who had up till this point been faceless in a haze of fogginess in his dreams now materialized visibly before him with every contour and every outline. 

Aerith.

It was Aerith – and he had let her die.

_Nooo!_

Cloud gasped for air, his hands shooting out to grab his pained head as he jolted awake from sleep. Beads of perspiration trickled down his forehead, and his terror-filled lungs clamoured for oxygen from his silent screams that had barely banished the demons from his brains.

He struggled to re-orientate themselves in his current surroundings, but all he could see and feel were the claws of his nightmares passing through him like rusted nails, pinning him to the armchair he was sat in in the hospital ward, draining every vessel from his body.

_It’s just a dream, Strife, wake up, wake up. You’re back in real life. Aerith’s safe, she’s safe._

He shut his eyes, trying to will away the horror that had ravaged his dreams, but his thumb had combed the bottom of his eyelashes and found a single tear that had managed to streak past aquamarine orbs to trickle down his ashen cheeks.

Cloud stared at the spot on his skin where the single tear droplet lingered, its wetness sending an awakening. Those dreams… He hadn’t experienced those nightmares in such a long time. Why now? And his past conjectures that the faceless lady in them had been Aerith turned out true, after all. When the fog in his brain had cleared, he had seen her face in crystal clarity.

It was definitely her.

He tightened his fists in his lap, then let his eyes raked the hospital bed before him. There it was again – that familiar feeling of his heart jumping to his throat, as he constantly sought to reassure himself for the umpteenth time that day that Aerith was well. That she was right in front of him. Safe and sound. Unharmed.

Yet those dreams that he had lost her permanently _,_ frightened him. Scared the hell out of him more than he ever would admit. He found himself staring down now at her peacefully sleeping face in the hospital bed, and inadvertently his heart did a full hundred and eighty degree turn in his chest as he reached out to wind his fingers around her small, delicate ones.

_She’s alive. She’s alive and well._

Relief took root in his heart, clogging his throat as words failed him even as his eyes searched her face. He would live to an old age, and never forget that ravaging fear contorting his heart and soul when he had thought all the light had banished from his universe the moment he had almost lost her forever.

Never again, never.

He made an oath under his breath as he watched her sleep, quietly envious of the stars shining through the hospital windows kissing her skin to greet her for the evening. Gaia, she was beautiful even when asleep, even clad head to toe in hospital gown. 

His fingers traced her forearms where the scars of the IV drips that had once pierced her skin to supply her body with warm intravenous liquid remained like gray smears. His heart ached at the remnants of her physical pain, and Cloud found himself counting down to the minutes she would wake again so he could hold her in his arms.

What had been rage and fury and despair building up like an untamed hurricane in his chest yesterday when he had barged into the hospital with her in his arms had simmered down slightly – just _slightly –_ especially after he had received Vincent’s phonecall that they had caught the culprit. The woman’s name was Scarlet – and Vincent had updated that she had been caught and a full police report lodged, reassuring Cloud that the law was underway to see that no harm would come to Aerith anymore.

Cloud checked his phone in his hand, glancing at Vincent’s text.

_“Hey Strife, Lucrecia’s gathered substantial forensic evidence and all the DNA results we need from the fingerprints. Scarlet’s the likely mastermind, along with a few lackeys working under her. She had set a trap to lure Aerith to the research lab by disguising as her customer, although she hadn’t intended to activate the freeze-lock switch to cause Aerith to go into hypothermia shock. We have enough evidence on our side to build a solid case so leave the rest to us. Once the case is closed, Scarlet’s probably going to be expelled and served a sentence. Aerith should be a hundred percent safe from now. We’ll settle things on our side. You take care of her. – Vin “_

Cloud closed his eyes and sank into his chair, tremendously relieved and glad that there wouldn’t be a bully and potential murderer on the loose out there trying to hurt Aerith anymore.

Still, there was one more thing left to be done.

He scanned through his phone contacts and searched the number for his Blitzball team manager. He needed to speak to Andrea Rhodea, and the sooner he could get the convincing over and done with, the better.

_“Hey Andrea, can we touch base tomorrow? I know it’s off-peak Blitzball season, but it’s important. I understand you are an acquaintance of Madame M. I have a favour to ask. – Cloud.”_

He slid his phone into his pocket and then leant forward in his chair, covering her small hand between his calloused fingers once more.

He hadn’t known when it was that losing her warmth physically was more jarring an emptiness than anything. Bringing her hand to his cheek, he slowly combed the stray strands out of her lovely face.

_How did you come to mean so much to me, Aerith?_

Her face was the portrait of sunset itself – one look at her and every single wall that ever existed around his heart went crashing down.

He suddenly blinked, sure he had caught her fingers twitching in his grasp.

“Aerith, are you awake?” He shifted his chair closer to her, his heart thumping louder.

And then he saw it – although her eyelids were still shut against her face like ink against fairy-white clouds, a single, lone tear had streaked past her cheek. Whatever dream she was having, it was hurting her.

Cloud reached out a thumb in time to catch the tear falling into the heart of his palm.

He stared, the moisture of it reminding him of his own awhile ago.

“Cloud?”

And the magic all over again when her eyes opened, setting his heart into flight.

She held out a hand to touch his face, and he trembled from the sheer fact that she was present, and alive, by his side. How he was worthy, he didn’t know. But it wasn’t something he wanted to take for granted again.

“You’re awake,” he murmured, letting her run her fingers down his jawline, “Had a bad dream?”

She nodded, and he helped her sit up in the bed. He noticed even in the ugly pale-green hospital gown, she still looked as ravishing as ever.

“I dreamt I was in a flower field,” she confessed, “I dreamt we were trying to meet in this promised land with all the yellow lilies and sunshine, and you had promised to meet me there, but I just couldn’t find you no matter how I kept running and searching—”

He had hushed her by placing his fingers against her soft, lush lips. “Sssh.”

She had to smile at his softness, her lips curving against his fingertips.

“I’m here now, aren’t I?” He assured her, voice sounding low in his throat. His eyes held so much comfort and security, they chased every stubborn, terrifying thoughts away inside of her.

She could only nod, her fingers coming around to grasp his fingers. Their eyes met across the tranquillity of the hospital air.

“By the way,” she peered at him closely, “How did you know where to find me? The lab wasn’t exactly the most prominent place to look for.”

Cloud recollected the sight of those petals, and a smile insisted on lending a touch to his lips. “I…followed the yellow flowers,” he admitted, “and then I bumped into Jessie who pointed out where she’d seen you heading off to.”

“Oh… _Those_ lilies.” Realization dawned in her face.

A smile settled easily on her lips, the effect relaxing her shoulders. Wisps of an old chant she had recalled from a lost memory now sang in her head. _Follow the yellow flowers…_ Yet Aerith couldn’t remember precisely where it had came from.

Cloud considered his thoughts for a while, before opening his mouth to speak.

“Aerith,” he deliberated his words, wondering how best to communicate his strange dreams with her. At her persuading nod, he had continued, “I don’t know how best to explain it, but when we had first met in the music faculty, it…it wasn’t a complete accident.”

“Oh?” She quirked an eyebrow.

“I had dreams about you even before we have met. I know it sounds stupid, but... I see this woman all the time in my sleep. Even when I can’t see her face or tell who she is, she dies in my dreams over and over again while I can only stand by and watch helplessly,” he babbled on, growing worried that he was starting to sound like a delusional madman to the woman he loved, “And then one night Barret had left a yearbook open and I chanced upon on your face and you had looked so much like her—”

Aerith suddenly giggled, causing him to break off and stare at her.

“You don’t think I’m crazy—” He started anxiously, but was cut off quickly by her finger to his lips. The look on Aerith’s face communicated that she didn’t think he was crazy, at all. And that she had understood every bit of his dreams and was listening intently.

Her eyes shone. “So you _were_ looking for me at the music faculty when we first met.”

“Uh, yep,” he confessed, a rueful smile tugging at his lips.

She rested a palm against his cheek, scorching him there. Even in hospital gown, she still had that unnerving effect on him.

“Well, guess what Mister,” her eyes were twinkling, “I have something to confess to you, too.”

“Really, what?”

“I have dreams, too, ever since I was a child. About a man and a woman standing in a flower field. I can’t see their faces, too. All I know is that he’s very much alive, and she’s not. Just…a ghost. Like a spirit. And I feel it all the time – his grief and sorrow. His regret for not having saved her from a fate of death… And I remember always waking up crying because he had felt so much like a person I’d known once upon a time and had to leave behind, although that doesn’t make any sense at all.”

They exchanged sombre looks, before Aerith broke into the tenderest smile.

“And honestly? When I first met you, I had given you a yellow lily because you had reminded me so much of _him_ ,” she finished, curving her fingers in his. “And the next day when you’d found me outside the Sphere in the rain, I…I was looking for you, because you had felt so familiar, and I was curious to whether I had known you from some other time.” 

He was the first to break the silence, “So…Maybe…”

“Maybe,” her face was aglow; she radiated sunshine even in the chill of the environment, “Maybe we had met in another world, another lifetime, I don’t know, Cloud. It all sounds crazy, but who knows? Maybe Fate just decided we weren’t meant to be together.”

“No,” he shook his head. His voice was quiet as he moved closer to sit on the edge of her bed, “even if that’s true, this time, it’ll be different, Aerith.” _This time, I will never let you go._

Her eyes softened into his, “Got to embrace this moment, right?”

He nodded, dumbstruck by the beauty of starshine shimmering against her eyelids. Did he ever thought his stomach would cave in entirely by looking at someone? Yet here he was, helpless to her effect.

“Besides, the universe gave me a relentlessly loyal heart, Cloud,” a light flickered in her eyes playfully as she leant closer, their noses almost brushing, sending his heart skidding, “Even if you came to me with a face I have not seen, with a voice I have never heard, I would still know you. Even if centuries separated us, I would still find you.”

He stared at her, his lips slightly parted as the gravity of her words sank in, doing to his universe what the sunlight did to dust particles – turning everything extraordinary and transforming all into magic.

Emotions choked his throat; he couldn’t speak, merely settling to slide his arms around her waist and wordlessly draw her into his arms.

No way he was letting her go, in any lifetime, in any place, in any existence. 

The smell of her hair, the feeling of her skin, had gotten inside him and formed the oxygen surrounding his universe. She had become a physical and emotional necessity – all the sun, the moon and all of his stars; an entire ocean in a drop within his galaxy. 

They stayed like that for long minutes – her breathing into his neck as she wrapped her arms tight around him, and him resting his jaw on her hair. Cloud had never known overwhelming relief like this – but when he held her now in his arms, he knew that as long as he lived, he would make sure nothing would hurt her again. He would protect her with his life.

“Thank you for coming for me, Cloud,” her whisper permeated the quietness of the air, “I’m sorry for bringing you into all of—”

He had pressed a tender kiss onto her forehead before she could speak further, shushing her, “Be quiet, you talk too much.”

_It doesn’t matter. You’re safe now, with me._

A giggle bubbled in her throat. “I mean it, though. I…wouldn’t know what I would do if you hadn’t shown up on time.”

And he wouldn’t know what he would have done, either, if he hadn’t.

That miniscule possibility choked at his throat, and he found himself holding her impossibly closer.

“Aerith?” His voice sounded hoarse.

“Hmm?”

“Promise me you won’t scare me like that again,” he breathed into her hair, stroking them the same way her fingers caressed circles around his chest.

She smiled against the warmth of his arms. “Only if you promise to guard me with your life, Mister.”

He tried to scoff, yet the corner of his lips had lifted into a smile reserved only for her, “Negotiating already?”

“Hmm, how does a lifetime of dates sound to you in exchange for being my personal bodyguard?” She looked up at him, her smile deepening to match the dimple powdering onto her cheeks. Her eyes were full of light, and it shone the way home for him.

He pretended to give it much thought, until she had sent a light nudge in his ribs, curling his lips into a whole smile.

“What? It’s not good enough an offer?” She pulled a face.

“I’ll…” He sucked in his breath as he sensed her tilting her face towards his, her eyes captivating his heart all over again. She hovered her lips a few inches away from his, teasing, and he immensely ached to caress that impish glow rising on her cheeks in a visible blush of rose.

“You’ll what?” Her tone was light, dancing into his ears, sending his nerves tingling.

“…I’ll think about it,” his eyes settled on hers, then rested on her mouth.

“Hmm, need a little bit of convincing, do you?” She giggled, and the sound wilted in her breath as he placed his fingers beneath her chin, the nearing distance of his mouth against hers igniting the first of butterflies to waltz into her stomach.

“Hn, maybe. Try and change my mind.” The last of his words incinerated from his lips as he cupped her face in his hands gently in a careful effort not to hurt her, before he had dipped his head to descend his mouth upon hers. 

When his arms encircled around her waist, drawing her so close she could feel the strong, steady beating of his heart, she had kissed him back ardently, mouth soft and pliant against his.

Cloud felt the curve of her smile against the slant of his mouth – and he knew there and then that if every fragment of their dreams was true, then every lifetime and forever he had spent waiting and searching for her had been worth every damn minute.

**TBC**

* * *

a/n:

lots of OG/Remake Clerith motifs – ‘follow the yellow flowers’/ ‘bodyguard’ etc… I hoped you spotted them ; )

And yes Clerith finally revealed their dreams from their OG/Remake lives LOL AND THIS TIME CLOUD-SAN HAS PROMISED THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT. HE’S NEVER LETTING AERITH GO AGAIN.

Whoot ^^

Review/comment – you know you wanna as we build towards the last few chapters! Ahhh sad but yes… it is endingggg sobs :’(

Myst-san

** Poetry references  **

“If you came to me with a face I have not seen, with a voice I have never heard, I would still know you. Even if centuries separated us, I would still feel you.” – Lang Leav

“The universe gave me a relentlessly loyal heart. I could love through lifetimes.” – butterflies rising.

“The smell of her hair, the taste of her mouth, the feeling of her skin seemed to have got inside him, or into the air all around him. She had become a physical necessity.” – George Orwell.


	26. resolutions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud could recognize that spikey black hair anywhere. “Zack?”   
> “Oh hey, bro.”  
> A frown deepened on Cloud’s face, “You…You’re not here to see Aerith, are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: 
> 
> this chapter is tying up a lot of loose ends. It’s not a good chapter if you’re looking for Clerith sap, I will confess firsthand. It resolves a lot of unanswered matters, esp revolving around Tifa and our gal Aerith. 
> 
> Although I’m not for Cloti at all, I’m not anti-Tifa, and I do feel every woman deserves her fair share of happiness in the end. ^^ AND YES I HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN OUR BOI ZACK FAIR. 
> 
> so here it is 😉 Feat. hints of Zifa but you can interpret it – friendship/otherwise- however you wish. 
> 
> I’ll make up with a massive Clerith chapter next up, promise! 
> 
> Myst-san

**\--x chapter 26: resolutions**

Tifa stumbled out of the hospital walkway, not being able to extricate the image of them _kissing_ from her mind.

The world in her head spun. She had to stop and place a hand by the wall to steady her legs from giving out beneath her. A part of her wanted to slip to the floor in a crumbled mess. Another part of her inwardly longed to get away from here before someone else would catch her looking like this.

Tears burnt her cheeks. Her ruby-wine eyes glimmered with more unshed tears and her lungs desperately fought to fill with fresh air. _No_ – Tifa Lockhart seldom cried. There was nothing in this world that could reduce her to this tragic state, yet here she was having seen the man whom she thought had loved her now loved another. Him kissing another woman that wasn’t her.

But there was a distinct pain worse than that cutting through her that she couldn’t extinguish. It was the pain burning her soul alive like a furnace – the guilt, and shame, that flooded through her when she thought of how she had been instrumental in nearly causing a friend to lose her life.

 _It’s all my fault,_ she thought despairingly, looking at her own hands in horror.

What had she done?

Had she nearly been the orchestrator to her friend’s demise, no matter how much she had resented Aerith once upon a time for stealing the only man she had ever wanted to love her and nobody else?

Tifa made a quick exit past the hospital lobby, face clearly distressed. Finding the closest bench outside the entrance, she had collapsed onto it, proceeding to bury her tear-stained face into her palms. So overwhelmed and consumed by the depths of her own emotions, she had failed to recognise the stunned face of a familiar passer-by whom she had caught the attention of.

A curious pair of striking blue-green eyes now studied the trembling form of the brunette bartender shaking in her silent sobs alone in the corner of the hospital courtyard. The man with the puzzled expression ran a hand through his spikey dark hair, concern creasing evidently on his forehead. He had easily made out that distinct, lone figure to be that of Tifa Lockhart.

Of course, he remembered her. Hard not to, when she had left such a significant impression on him the first time they had met.

He hesitated, before approaching her cautiously, not wanting to scare the apparently upset woman.

“Tifa?” He called out.

She lifted wet ruby-wine eyes to gaze at the stranger standing before her. Her eyes widened in recognition. “Z-Zack?”

The sight of her tears was enough cause for him to sigh and slide into the seat next to her on the bench, “Hey, Tifa. What are you doing here? Something wrong?” 

It had seemed like ages ago when they had met the last time in her bar at Seventh Heaven. She had not looked at all despondent then. Zack remembered the bold, feisty woman full of guts who hadn’t been intimidated by him in the least. Definitely nothing resembling this woman now wrecked with sobs.

“What are you doing here, Zack? Aren’t you supposed to be back in Altissia?” Tifa rubbed the moisture out of her eyes, looking away quickly as if embarrassed having been seen in this vulnerable state. 

“I’m in town for an inter-university moot competition this week. My teammate hurt his leg when he was out skateboarding this morning and I had to drop him off here to fix his frickin’ leg. That idiot. Although…” He eyed her carefully, “I must ask you the same, Tifa – what are you doing here?” He sensed her forlornness and decided this wasn’t the best time for his usual smart-ass remarks. He doubted she was in the mood for it.

She drew an unsteady sigh, trying to blink away her tears, “Aerith. She’s in the hospital.”

“Aerith?” Zack looked alarmed, “What happened to her?”

“It’s…It’s…” Tifa lapsed in her breathing once more as a sob racked her chest. In the next second she had buried her face into her palms to hide her watery mess of a face.

Zack sighed. How best to deal with this? Comforting upset, crying women wasn’t exactly his forte. Still, he hadn’t thought it through before he had wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. Hoping it would soothe her anyway, in some way.

“It’s fine, Tif, you can tell me,” He spoke in a low, hushed tone.

Honestly, he had no idea why he had called her ‘Tif’. They weren’t exactly _that_ close. Although the last time they had hung out in her bar, well, _sure,_ they had gotten drunk together in the end and had ended up waltzing and dancing in each other’s arms around the empty bar all to themselves. It had undoubtedly been a night where he had the most fun in the longest time with another woman. Enough to make him feel like him and Tifa weren’t so much strangers than at least, friends.

Well, at least, he hoped.

At his encouragement, she had cast him a hopeful glance and was now searching his face as much as he was her. It had seemed that her thoughts were on the same wavelength as him. As though their single, strange, one-off night at the bar had created an odd connection between them akin to friendship… Or perhaps room for something more?

They simultaneously shook their heads, brushing away the daydreams that had similarly surfaced in their heads.

Tifa opened her mouth to speak, and before she knew it, was already blabbering everything to this spikey dark-haired man with eyes the same colour as the oceanic waters.

Something about Zack…made her feel safe. And at ease.

She ended up confessing the gist of it to Zack, who although looked to be growing more surprised by the minute, had made no move to interrupt her but to listen patiently.

She told him about Scarlet – how the woman had reached out to Tifa in one of Cloud’s private fan forum online, and Tifa had agreed to help by spreading the proliferation of scandals and nasty rumors on the Internet involving Aerith. It wasn’t hard, when Tifa had enough contacts and friends in the media to feed them whatever information they wanted to pen hurtful articles, regardless how baseless those written speculations were. And how afterwards Scarlet had talked her into stalling Aerith from attending her second string quartet practice, asking her to lie to Cloud about Aerith’s absence from their lunch date.

The dumbest thing was that Tifa had agreed, believing lying to Cloud would simply buy her more time to spend with him at the movies.

“That was all I did. That was really all. All I wanted was to have one more date with Cloud. I never knew Scarlet’s true intention was to lure Aerith into a trap and…and…Aerith nearly died, and it’s all my fault.”

Tears were shimmering beneath her eyelashes again, “Cloud will never forgive me. He knows by now that I’ve lied to him about Aerith’s absence in the cafeteria. And when he finds out everything else that I’ve done to her…” Her voice broke temporarily. “And he loves Aerith. God, of course I know that. I’ve known that for the longest time but I wasn’t ready to accept it just yet…because I couldn’t stand losing him to another woman who hadn’t known him as long as I have…”

She bit back a sob. Zack nodded, patiently waiting for her to carry on.

“I had only agreed to help Scarlet because I…I was jealous,” Tifa admitted, hanging her head lowly, “I thought if I spread those nasty words online, she might get upset enough to leave Cloud alone. Even when Scarlet convinced me to lie to Cloud about Aerith’s practice being moved earlier, I had only wanted the movies to be our last date. I hadn’t expected things would turn out this way; hadn’t expected Scarlet would have trapped Aerith in the lab and…and almost killed her. It was all a terrible accident. I swear on it, Zack.”

Her eyes sought his beseechingly, and Zack in that instant knew he believed her thoroughly. He needed only to see the sincerity in those eyes also filled with volumes of pain and regret.

“And now I don’t know what to do,” Tifa choked, “I’m sorry for everything. For hurting Aerith. I never meant for it to go this far. And now, I’ve hurt Cloud, too. I’ve seen how much they love each other. I’m not blind, Zack. I pretend to turn a blind eye, but I’m not stupid.” She hastily brushed an errant tear from her eye.

His eyes softened as he lifted a hand to comb through her hair, tucking her bangs behind her ears before he could understand why he had done what he did. His understanding eyes met her pleading ones. 

“Do you…love Cloud?” He asked slowly.

“I…” Tifa considered it for a while, before shaking her head, “I thought I did, Zack. When I got upset and jealous with Aerith all the time, I’d thought it was because I had feelings for him.”

“But you realized… you were simply upset that you had lost his affections to someone else?” His eyes were full of patience.

Tifa gasped slightly, as if taken aback someone had read her so easily. “Is it that obvious?”

“…Only because we’re too much alike.” A glint flickered in his eyes, “I’ve always hated losing. If any of my chums decided to go after a girl, I’d join in the arms race, too, just to prove I can easily beat them and win her heart. But loving someone – that’s another story, altogether.”

Zack searched her eyes, before putting a hand beneath her chin, raising her gaze to meet his, “Whereas you, Tifa – you’re so competitive, so courageous all the time. That’s not a bad thing, really. I get why you haven’t been willing to give up this fight.”

“You mean, more like a losing battle,” she sighed, not pushing his hand away.

He only grinned broadly, then reluctantly let go of her face.

“So…what do you think I should do?” She raised a curious eyebrow.

“Those Internet rumours you mentioned…If you were the one responsible in creating them, then surely you can change them, too, right?” Zack asked after a moment’s consideration.

Tifa paused to think, then nodded solemnly, “Yes, I supposed that can be easily remedied. Issuing apologies and rectifying things online isn’t going to a problem. It’s everything else that I’m worried about…” 

“You’re worried they might be angry at you?” He frowned. He sensed her nodding, then sighed and continued, “Don’t tell me you’re just going to wait and hope for their anger to simmer down. Surely you’re not just going to hope by some luck that they come running to you instead to ask to rekindle your friendship?”

Tifa stared at him, mouth agape.

Zack smiled, an easy smile that fitted on his face like it had always belonged there, “Ever thought of apologizing?”

“Apologizing?” Tifa repeated, as if believing she had misheard.

“Heh, I’m guessing apologizing must be too hard for someone like you with the biggest ego and guts I’ve ever known.” He offered her a mischievous grin.

“Take that back, jerk.” She punched his shoulder, but not roughly. She seemed to be considering his words carefully. “You… think that’d work?”

“I know Aerith well,” Zack replied thoughtfully, chin in his hands, “She’s way too kind for her own good – part of the reason I didn’t deserve her. And the man she loves – that Cloud Strife, right? He’s only angry because the woman he loves is hurt. Any man would. Approach Aerith first, I’d say. Then everything will be fine from there, I bet you.”

“Really?” For the first time that day, hope glimmered in her eyes.

Zack grinned and held out a balled fist towards Tifa. “Wager a bet? Loser buys drinks.”

A smile touched her lips, emerging from the canvas of tears left on her face. She returned the gesture, bumping her fist against his.

“Deal.”

* * *

The morning sunlight beamed through the white hospital blinds, kissing music manuscript and pencil before settling onto her peaceful face. Aerith allowed her attention to wander from her composition work to her serene surroundings. Another gorgeous day – and to think she had been scared to think she wouldn’t live to see another.

Her phone by the bedside had been incessantly beeping non-stop throughout the day, inundating her inbox with one text notification after another. For some reason since the lab incident that Aerith couldn’t fathom, things around her – no, the _people –_ had changed.

It was as if overnight, all the nasty rumours and comments on the Internet had simultaneously issued their professional apologies to her. Recent articles published on varying social medial platforms had, surprisingly, made a three-hundred-sixty degrees turn on their previous stance and now lauded her for her musical achievements and talent instead of attacking her in the usual scandalized manner. Like that wasn’t all odd enough, there had been an entire section in the lifestyle news this morning dedicated to complimenting her stunning lavender choice of gown at the Blitzball Gala Night, although that had felt like aeons ago.

Aerith stared at her phone, dreading to sift through that influx of incoming messages and emails. Of course, she felt nothing short of being awfully grateful for all the sudden well-wishes she had received from her university mates. To their credit, they had sounded incredibly apologetic in their past embarrassing behaviour towards her. Yet despite the compliments, the flattery, the regards, Aerith decided she couldn’t ever get used to being in the limelight like this. Now she could quite understand what Cloud had meant when he said he hated the spotlight and the paparazzi.

She sighed, staring absentmindedly at her empty music manuscript. She could only hope the media attention on her would die down in a few days… Certainly she could never get used to especially how the Internet informally pronounced her and Cloud as the latest ‘star couple’ – as if he didn’t get enough attention from the public already. Aerith didn’t want to draw anymore unnecessary attention to the man she loved, if she could help it.

 _Honestly, though, I’m just glad to be alive, and well._ She thought. Relief and gratitude had been the main emotions coursing through her since the incident, together with joy and love whenever Cloud turned up in the hospital by her side.

Could her life get any better than this?

Although… Aerith had arrived at the conclusion by now that she might have most likely been fired from her position as first violinist from the string quartet. Having missed the last practice and second consecutive rehearsal with Madame M, she didn’t doubt that she had ended up offending and disrespecting the acclaimed adjudicator. That lost professional opportunity had meant the world to Aerith, and she had very much looked forward to working with the other three talented and lovely ladies.

Her phone rang, jolting her out of her thoughts.

“Madame M?” She picked up the call, fingers trembling. Was the adjudicator going to start screaming in her ears and fire her officially from the string quartet now? Aerith shut her eyes, expecting the worst.

“Are you feeling better, Aerith?”

“Very much, thank you. Madame M, I’m _so_ sorry about having missed the—” 

“When can you be discharged, Aerith?”

“Um, the doctors have cleared me for this afternoon to go home,” Aerith wondered why the older woman had asked such an odd question.

“Listen, Aerith. Come along to string quartet prac the day after tomorrow. Don’t worry about missing the last one; we’d just gone ahead and practice without your part first. I’m sure you’ll do fine catching up with us come Monday when you’re back in rehearsal. Oh yes, and we’ve just been engaged next weekend for our first string quartet performance at a VIP Charity Ball event hosted by the Blitzball CEO. We’ve been hired, so you’d better turn up for next prac, else I’m going to get Rinoa and the girls to drag you here.”

Aerith clutched the phone tighter to her ears, her eyes growing in disbelief, “Really? You mean—”

Madame M had cut her off with a chuckle, bidding her a quick farewell before hanging up, leaving the amber-haired lady to stare at her phone thoroughly taken aback.

Had she just been given the opportunity to _keep her job?_ Was she still officially first violinist of the string quartet?

 _Yes! Yes!_ Her body shook with jovial glee, and if her muscles weren’t still too sore from the IV drips jabbing into her arms yesterday, she would have jumped into the air jubilantly. A text message came through once more. It was Madame M again. Blinking, Aerith read the older woman’s text, all this while feeling the butterflies in her stomach multiplying. 

_“If you must, thank that boyfriend of yours, darling. That lad sought his Blitzball team manager Andrea out on several occasions to finally get through to me. Andrea’s a close friend of mine. – Madame M.”_

A glow of a smile surfaced on Aerith’s lips. What more could she say, or ask for, really? Give the man she loved all the best titles in the world – knight in shiny armour, prince charming, heroic bodyguard – and they still wouldn’t be enough to sum up all the incredible things he could do that were utterly magic.

Her heart was so full, she could hardly call it her own. She couldn’t wait to see Cloud, to thank him in person. Were there any more things that could occur today that would surprise Aerith impossibly more? Surely not.

The door to her hospital ward opened slightly with a soft knock.

“Come in!” Aerith looked up expectantly.

Her eyes rounded at the sight of the unexpected visitor.

“T-Tifa?”

“Hi, Aerith,” Tifa pushed her way through the door, her eyes anxiously searching emerald ones before Aerith gestured her forward. The amber-haired lady had taken both of the fist-fighter’s hands, guiding her to sit beside her on the bed.

“It’s nice to see you, Tifa,” Aerith’s eyes softened. She had figured out everything and put two to two together by now after Cloud had explained to her how Tifa had been the one to offer him the morsel of misinformation.

“Aerith, I’m just here to say I’m so sorry,” Tifa’s lips were quavering, eyes glistening with unshed moisture, “You’d have known by now my role in spreading those stupid lies on the Internet, and helping Scarlet to lie to Cloud about your whereabouts. But I promise, I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you—”

Aerith shook her head, shushing the nervous girl, “It’s ok, Tifa. I believe you.”

“B-But I’ve been so cruel to you, Aerith—”

Aerith reached out a hand to squeeze Tifa’s shoulder. There was kindness in her eyes; a gentleness. It was the expression of one who saw the person under their behaviour; of one who believed the goodness in people, believed that sunshine radiated from even their imperfections and flaws invisible even to their own naked eyes.

“I understand,” Aerith affirmed, her voice firm and steady, “Listen to me, Tifa, I should apologize, too.”

“But, but,” Tifa sputtered.

Aerith continued, “I’m partly responsible for all of these incidents as well, Tifa. I’ve been thinking a lot…about Scarlet, about _you.”_

Something lit in those emerald eyes. “I never realized how much I might have neglected to see how people around me would have been hurt from the choices I made in my life. I…I should have paid more attention to your feelings, Tifa. I knew how you felt about Cloud, and I was wrong not to have addressed it earlier with you in person. I’m sorry that ended up causing you to feel so much against me.”

“Aerith—” A stunned expression clung onto Tifa’s face.

“No, listen,” Aerith spoke once more, “Even Scarlet – I know what she did was wrong. But I had been so focused on my pursuit for success that I had unwittingly failed to see my single-minded ambition had hurt her when I knew full well she was going for the same scholarship audition. In a way, I…” the amber-haired lady dipped her eyes, staring at her clasped hands, “I do feel slightly ashamed of myself for not having been perceptive enough to see all of this earlier.”

“Aerith, how can you say all that?” Tifa exclaimed, reaching out to rest her hands on her friend’s shoulders, “I came to apologize to you- and you’ve just reversed the roles! When you’ve done nothing, and I was the one who’ve caused you so much misery and pain.”

That had caused a giggle to bubble in Aerith’s throat. Both friends gazed at each other for a while, before breaking out simultaneously into laughter.

“So,” Aerith’s eyes twinkled, covering Tifa’s hand in hers, “Friends?”

“Always,” Tifa nodded, and did something she wasn’t quite used to. She leant in and brought Aerith into a tight hug, “I’m sorry, Aerith.”

“About Cloud—” Aerith started.

“Cloud’s head over heels in love with you, Aerith,” Tifa squeezed her friend’s hand, “Not anyone else, not me. It took me long enough to figure it out, but what’s not meant to be mine will never be.”

At Aerith’s silence, Tifa had laughed, a spark of good humour circling her eyes, “Honestly? I think only someone like you can tame that Chocobo spike-head. He’s hopeless most of the times.”

Aerith giggled, “Hopeless, but adorable.”

Tifa rolled her eyes. Speaking of Chocobo spike-head, a flash of another spikey-haired boy had conjured in her mind. One with his whole head of black hair, coupled with that infuriating grin of his. Now- why had she thought of that man from Altissia of all times?

“Besides,” Tifa added as an afterthought, “There might be someone out there more interesting than I thought, after all.”

“Oooh,” Aerith was playfully jabbing Tifa in the ribs, “Who? Tell me! It’s not Rude, is it?”

The girls laughed, and chatted away gaily, oblivious to the hospital door behind them shutting quietly, leaving them to their own conversations.

Cloud turned on his heels, a ghost of a smile curling his lips.

Yep, he was right all along on what he had suspected – _I’m in love with a saint._

He wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it. Only someone like Aerith would believe there was still goodness in the hearts of the villains in her life who had once plotted to ruin her. Only someone like Aerith would choose to see the kindness even in the most blackened, cruel souls. Someone like Aerith would be that flip of a switch to turn on the lights of a darkened abyss inside anyone’s heart when they had forgotten to.

And that was one of the million reasons he loved her, anyway.

He sighed resignedly. _Yep, I’m fuckin’ in love with an angel with the heart of gold._

Although… he needed to ask Aerith what she had meant by calling him ‘hopeless, but adorable’.

Cloud narrowed his eyes at the familiar silhouette with his back propped up against the hospital wall along the corridor.

He could recognize that spikey black hair anywhere.

“Zack?”

“Oh hey, bro,” Zack lifted a hand for a wave.

A frown deepened on Cloud’s face, “You…You’re not here to see Aerith, are you?” If the Altissian was, then Cloud would be the first to admit he was _not_ going to be happy. In fact, Cloud would rage in silent jealousy and internally commit a choke-hold against the man if Zack admitted it was true.

“Heh,” Zack shook his head, eyes full of mirth, “Nah. Aerith’s all yours, remember?”

Cloud folded his arms. _No shit, Sherlock._ “So what are you doing here?”

“Uh,” Zack scratched his head, “…Waiting.”

“For who?”

“Uh…Tifa?” Zack confessed, a sheepish grin on his face.

Cloud did a double take. Tifa? And Zack? When had this happened? When had they known each other in the first place, anyway, other than the bar incident the last time at Seventh Heaven after the last Tournament game?

Then it dawned on Cloud that Tifa hadn’t gone off with Barret and the rest to party elsewhere after. She must have stayed at the bar…

Oh. _Oh._

A glint hardened in Cloud’s eyes. “You’re waiting for Tifa?”

“Heh, will you punch me if I say yes?” Zack was still grinning broadly.

“Not really,” Cloud shrugged, before recovering his cool composure. His eyes bored hard into Zack’s. The blonde-haired man wore a serious expression now as he addressed the man who looked not much older than him. “Zack Fair, right?”

“Yes, Mister star player.” Amusement flickered in those blue eyes almost the same striking shade as Cloud.

Cloud studied the man intently, before nodding, “Tifa’s still my friend. If you hurt her—”

“I won’t,” Zack had cut in immediately. The humour in his eyes had dissipated. He looked every inch as serious as Cloud.

Silence hung between the two men.

“I trust you as the best man to take care of Aerith,” Zack had broken the stillness of the air, “Surely you could trust me, too, Cloud?”

The tension in the air relaxed, along with the blonde spikey-haired man’s shoulders. He fixed Zack with one last penetrating look before nodding, “I do, but I won’t hesitate to come after you if anything changes.”

“Could say the same for you, star player,” Zack was now looking at his phone that had beeped with a new message, “Ah… Tifa just texted. Said she’s going to take some time chatting with her gal pal. Girly stuff, I presume, heh.”

Cloud quirked a bemused eyebrow. Already exchanging numbers? Man, Zack and Tifa were on some kind of fast track there.

Before Cloud could protest otherwise, Zack had slung a friendly arm around his neck, dragging him away into the corridor, “Where shall we men go for some drinks nearby while we await the ladies?”

Cloud begrudgingly shot the man a glare, his arms still defensively folded across his chest, “What are you trying to get out of this, Zack?”

“Heh, perhaps you can start by telling me more about this Tifa friend of yours. She’s an interesting one.”

“If you’re planning to woo her, you’ve got a ton of competition ahead of you. Don’t be too arrogant yet.”

“Oh, I never lose to anyone else, Cloud. No one ever tell you that?”

Zack’s laughter rung out into the corridor as he hauled Cloud out into the light of the sun beyond the hospital towards the nearest bar in town. 

**TBC**

* * *

a/n:

awwww one last chapter guys, one last one!! Whoohooo we’re almost there ^^

I hoped you enjoyed this fic despite the lack of Clerith. I had enjoyed the girly friendships, the men bonding over ladies HEHEHE sorry I’m a sucker for friendship moments too! Plus Cloud is so protective of Aerith – talking to Andrea to get to Madame M. Our boi goes the extra mile for his woman – gushes –

Comment/review – lest I cliffhang you guys just when we’re almost there! Ok kidding… but you know you wanna ; )

myst-san


	27. comet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How do you suggest you pay me back then?”  
> “Ice cream…and something else I think you might find quite favourable...”  
> She had definitely meant kissing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: 
> 
> cries…I’m not ready for the last chapter – are you guys!?
> 
> Anyhow. Here it is. *tosses confetti. 
> 
> You guys have been amazing, so I hope you enjoy every Clerith moment in this chapter. 
> 
> AND YES I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT AERITH’S ICONIC RED DRESS. YASS. 
> 
> Myst-san

\--

_“so do right people with wrong timing  
ever get a second try?” _

_– (via – welcometothedarksideofthemoon)_

**\--x chapter 27: comet**

When the hospital had discharged her, Aerith had changed out of the pale green hospital garbs as eager as a young child desiring to put on a lovely dress for the first time. In all honesty, she couldn’t wait to get out of the confines of the four walls. She was dying to see something else other than hospital walls and sterile medical equipment around. Plus, she was convinced she had fully recovered by now.

Hence straight after the doctors had at last cleared her, she had wasted no time in packing her bags. Cloud had video-called that he was on the double to pick her, and her first request to him albeit a strange one, had not been unexpected. Considering especially how she hadn’t set her foot outdoors for days.

_“Can we stop Fenrir awhile by the seaside on the back to campus?”_

He had obliged her – of course Cloud had. How could he refused when she was resorting to that old trick of hers she knew full well would work on him? Batting her eyelashes at him through video call looking like a puppy – his heart had caved in before he could mutter a single ‘no’ syllable to the woman he loved.

…And now he watched her as she watched the sea. The yellow ball of setting sun changed to hues of orange then tangerine before them, merging with the blue sky like dissolving into a glass of water. The clouds blushed from the warm touch of the sunrays – the sight of which worthy of stealing breaths especially when a flock of birds flew across the mauve, dusky sky intensifying every minute into sunset hour.

Yet as Aerith kicked off her sandals and ran across the sand into the lapping waves, all he saw was her – the sea and sun had all but paled in comparison next to her presence. Nothing compared – when she was radiating so much glow, it put everything else around her to shame. 

The sunset took her breath away, but her twirling barefoot in the sand took _his._

“Be careful, Aerith,” he warned her. He had tried to sound as stern as he could, but even he could not mask the softness in his tone nor the tenderness in his eyes. God, it was impossible to feel so much for one person.

The last thing he wanted was her to fall into the waves, and so he had reluctantly taken his sneakers off and joined her by the sea. He shot her a begrudging look, albeit not seriously. “I don’t want to have to jump in and save you.”

She giggled, “Oh, you worry too much, bodyguard. Even if you have to save me, I’m sure the waters won’t be of any obstacle to you.”

He couldn’t look away from the way the wind played with her hair and the ends of her skirt billowing by the sea. He moved closer to her, yet chose to stay quiet, allowing her to stay lost in the moment a little longer. She looked so happy, he didn’t want to ruin anything.

The rays of sunset collapsing against her cheeks was a sight he wanted to take to his grave.

She was doing tiny pirouettes on her bare toes, her lovely face tilted skywards as she soaked in the warmth of the evening.

“The sunset’s beautiful,” she remarked. 

He found his limbs failing him. _No, you are._

“By the way, Cloud,” she spoke, her eyes meeting his midway across bright sun streaks. Her smile curled again, hinting of the humour in her eyes he knew was going to gutter him right where it hurt. He adverted his eyes away – he couldn’t believe he was still terrified of what she could do to him if he didn’t rein in his nerves in time. “Madame M spoke to me…about you.”

He tried to find the sand between his toes more interesting. “Oh, really?”

In a matter of a heartbeat, she had surreptitiously slid closer to him, her faces inches from his, sending his pulse rocketing. Like moth to a flame, his eyes were helplessly drawn to hers.

“Thank you,” she smiled while breathing those two words, hoping they would suffice for all the emotions rising within her chest, for _him._

“Did it work?” He asked her, sincerely curious. He had cocked an eyebrow, hoping his cool composure would distract himself from her ever-nearing distance.

“Yep,” she nodded brightly, “We’ve got a rehearsal day after tomorrow to prepare for a Charity Ball performance this Saturday. And Madame M says I’m still hired.”

“…Good.” He was a man of few words, but he meant it truly. Relief had sagged his shoulders somewhat.

“Will you…” she started, as if unsure how to phrase her words. The look he gave her persuaded her to continue. Her eyes searched his, “Will you…pick me up after the Ball?”

His mouth had twitched; he couldn’t help it. Honestly – did she think he was going to say no, anyway? Not a chance in hell. He had already planned to send her and pick her up even if she hadn’t asked.

But when she had looked at him with the smallest tinge of uncertainty in her eyes, he just _had to_ tease her, even for just the tiniest bit. “That depends. Are you planning to hire me?”

Aerith caught the light in his eyes, then pulled a face. She jabbed a playful finger into his ribs. “Are you demanding payment from me, Mister? Of what kind are you looking forward to, may I ask?”

He tried his best to ignore the way her touch had sent the familiar tingling surging beneath the skin she had torched. “Hn, you decide.”

“You sure about that?” She had lovingly wrapped her arms around his solid waist, hearing both of their breaths catch at the same time. The vividness of her eyes intensified his own. Hers twinkled until he could bear it no longer, and he felt his defenses annihilate one by one, with every inch of her smile.

He brought her closer, his arms enveloping around the small of her waist. He could hear the unsteady rhythm of her heart against his chest, set against the crashing of ocean waves amongst them.

He shut his eyes as he sensed her nestling her head into his shoulder, allowing both the light she exuded so naturally and that of the sun to illuminate his universe all at once, engulfing his being with blissful elation.

How could someone with a touch so gentle set his entire body on fire?

“What would you suggest then?” He breathed against her ear, feeling the clutch of her delicate fingertips into the folds of his shirt.

“Ice cream,” she immediately responded, and he fought back a smile, “and something _else_ I think you might find quite favourable...”

The teasing in her tone sent shudders rippling across his blood. He pulled away in time to watch the extraordinary sweetness danced into her eyes.

“Is that so?” His voice sounded hoarse to his own ears. But could he have helped it otherwise when she was looking at him like he was her every hour of changing sunset setting and rising again to life?

She tip-toed to his height, lightly kicking grains of sand onto his bare feet. It tickled his skin, together with the hypnotic sensations of her loose hair caressing his nose. She had stirred in him a burning longing that was teetering his blood beyond the horizon of the sunset.

She had definitely meant _kissing him,_ and she knew that he _knew_ , too, looking at him with that impish smile on her face.

His breath caught in his throat as she pressed closer, moulding their bodies together.

“Very much so,” she reassured, sunshine scattering across her cheekbones.

Stars swam in his vision, the effect of which sent his arms grasping the back of her neck to pull her face towards his. Her arms wrapped around him were igniting enough heat to burst out of his chest, bringing his entire world to flames with her.

He was about to lean in and kiss her, when she had elicited a squeal, causing his eyes to flutter open and search frantically around.

Laughter rose from her lips, into the air like invisible larks. His smile joined hers when he had felt the wetness seeped into his jeans and bare feet, realizing the tides had crashed in to the height of their knees. The ends of her skirt were soaked as well, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at her helpless expression.

“Hey, stop laughing,” she poked him in the chest.

“We’d better go. The tides are rising,” he told her. They turned to thread through grains of sand back onto the shoreline, and he had just managed a second to sneak a sideway glance at her lovely face encased by sunrays.

When she had smiled up at him once more, with all the lovingness radiating from the sun reflected in her eyes, he had instinctively reached for her hand, gathering her dainty fingers in his.

Her smile widened, and he felt her wordlessly weave her fingers tighter between his, squeezing them.

Behind them, the waves of the sea crashed and sighed into silence, leaving the last of tangerine sunrays orbiting around their sanctuary.

* * *

It was a magical setting for a Charity Ball, exclusively hosted for high-end socialites and VIPs in the city.

Held at the Don Corneo Villa and Resorts tucked away in the suburb outskirts of Zanarkand accessible only by private transport, it was built as a world-class beachfront estate with villas and suites with unparalleled views of the ocean, offering the finest, luxurious getaway for guests. It was also the perfect venue for private, upscale events.

No doubt, only someone like Blitzball CEO Godo Kisaragi could ever dream of hosting something like this on such a mammoth scale. The date of the event had been picked to also coincide with the highly anticipated once-in-7000 years cosmic event. Astrologists had predicted that the rare Jenova Comet would prove visible and bright enough to be seen by the naked eye once nightfall would greet the lands of Gaia.

Honestly, Cloud could care less about these social or celestial events. He had only one agenda on his sleeves today – that was to ride Fenrir covering the entire distance from Zanarkand University to the faraway resort destination to pick Aerith up from her first string quartet debut. Madame M had recently marketed the four ladies onto the world stage after much hype and publicity had built around the Internet and social media surrounding them in the past weeks. 

Cloud parked Fenrir and looked towards the lights emanating from the Grand Ballroom above in the upper floors of the villa, signalling the Ball was still very much in full swing. Good – he had hoped he was on time to catch her in action. He would be gutted if he had missed it, although he knew Aerith hadn’t expected him to turn up _this_ early.

Heat clamoured at his neck, and he tugged at his tie uncomfortably. Dammit – he hated having to dress to the nines. But if he intended to crash and sneak into the Ball for the woman he loved, he bloody hell then would. Besides, it wasn’t exactly illegal…nor would he call it trespassing. He was sure if Godo found out the Blitzball MVP of the Tournament was attending, the old man himself would have stoop to nothing to invite Cloud personally onto stage.

No, Cloud would lie low, for the simple fact he wanted to avoid the spotlight and paparazzi tonight.

He paused beneath the lofty high ceilings, hovering his hands a slight distance from the gold, courtly-looking doors that would lead him right into the ballroom. Cloud wanted to laugh at the incredulous sight he presented himself – he knew he looked ridiculous trying to press his ear against the door, trying to pick out any violin sounds. 

Silence greeted him…then the loveliest music of the string instruments began, weaving together a melody he had heard Aerith practise so many times last week.

 _Right on time_ , he thought, thanking whichever lucky stars were shining down on him. Fenrir had nearly given him a heart attack awhile ago on the road with its chugging engine, but it hadn’t taken Cloud long to quickly troubleshoot the issue and be on his way.

 _It’s starting._ Drawing his breath, he pushed his way past the magnificent doors and gazed down the most grandiose flight of stairs trimmed with gold ornamental leaves along the railings. Surely he wasn’t in a castle, transported back into historical times of a fairytale? Gaia, this ballroom was gigantic – how much money did the man Don Corneo make to build such a juggernaut of a place?

His gaze followed the royal red carpet leading down the palatial steps. He could make out the crowds below on the dance floor, waltzing away to the live music played by the strings quartet on stage.

Cloud had to hide a wry smile – Godo certainly knew how to host a fancy black-tie event. This was no ordinary Ball. People were dressed in their best suits and gowns.

Beneath the marvellous lights of the chandeliers, the gown dresses donned by the women spun into a myriad of colourful patterns into the moonlight shining from the glass domed ceilings above as they twirled and sashayed in their partners’ arms.

Now, as a professional athlete who had attended his share of social and publicity events, Cloud had lived through and tolerated some of the most pompous, frivolous black-tie events. But this one certainly topped it all. He suppressed his amusement, letting his gaze wander across the perimeter of the ballroom to seek out the one person he desired.

His eyes softened as he caught that distinct shade of amber hair on stage.

She wasn’t hard to miss.

Gaia, how could anyone miss that ravishing sight unravelling its surreal beauty before them? They had to be a fool, or blind.

He found himself having to steady his hands against the stairs’ railings, in a bid to calm his nerves and catch his breath. She had that physical effect on him he never knew how to manage up till now – it was as if she could demolish his defenses even without lifting a finger on him, just by the power of her sheer enchantment alone.

It was a _crime_ for anyone to look this beautiful.

Aerith stood on stage, violin in hand, looking mesmerizing in her red gown the hue of extraordinary crimson on the wings of the loveliest butterfly. Cherry red ribbons wove around the waves of her hair running all the way down her back. Even the length of the gown reaching to her silver heeled sandals could not hide the feminine curves beneath that fabric.

She looked so elegant, so assured, so effortlessly beautiful. It took all of his self-control not to sprint down the steps and seize her in his arms. Nerves be damned.

And just like the stars were drawn to the moon, his feet were carrying him down the stairs before he realized. His heart pounded in sync with his steps, and the next thing he knew, he was standing amongst the crowd, contented to watch her and nobody else.

By the way she moved and played her violin, and the manner of which the softness of her luxuriant hair shimmered from the silvery streaks of starlight catching her amber waves, she reigned queen in his heart.

He forced himself to breathe, recovering the lost art of taking in air.

Then the magic happened –

She had stolen his breath, when she had looked up unexpectedly and caught his eyes. He watched them grow wider in surprise, and then soften with so much love and tenderness in them, it seeped and warmed all the way to his heart.

She had smiled – just a singular act, across the throngs of unfamiliar faces in the ballroom – and their universes collided once more, hurtling through space and time to converge together.

He understood the meaning in her emerald eyes glowing into his even without hearing her. _Wait for me, I’m almost done._

He nodded, almost to no one in particular, but he knew she wouldn’t miss it any way.

_I’ll wait._

Her smile deepened, and he thought to himself,

_I’ve waited entire lifetimes for you, what’s the difference a little longer will make?_

* * *

Specks of stars dotted the sky, drawing Aerith’s eyes heaven-bound. Constellations stilled in its dazzling patterns, as the world waited to watch this spectacular moment similar to millennia ago.

“I can’t wait,” she whispered, casting her eyes to the stars above spilling over black marble, raking for a sign of something…anything, to streak past the heavens.

She had elicited those words to no one in particular, leaning against the balcony railings. Most of the crowds had cleared from the event that had ended a good thirty minutes ago, and even though she had definitely seen Cloud waiting for her on the dance floor, she had no idea where he was right now. He wasn’t picking up his phone, either.

Didn’t matter. She would wait here for him. He would show up anyhow.

Hoping to glimpse the comet the whole of Gaia was anticipating with bated breaths tonight, her attention never shifted from the faraway galaxies. She didn’t think anything could look more gorgeous than the sky above, except for perhaps one specific man who had the similar ability to take her breath away. 

And that _he_ did – take her breath away, as she felt a familiar warmth envelop around her being. Her heart nearly jumped out of her skin from the fiery sizzles his touch had awakened in her, as an arm snaked around her waist, catching her by surprise.

Wherein she was chilly from the midnight breeze earlier, she was now tingling with heat. Warm embers spiralled in her belly, sending all the butterflies sitting within skittering into flight.

“Cloud,” she breathed, feeling him first before seeing him.

He had snuck up on her before she even realized, sliding an arm around the delicateness of her waist, leaning his mouth to her ear so close until the word he spoke had sent delicious shivers down her neck. “Hey.”

One word- and she had heard the lightness of his tone. Had he…meant to tease her?

How infuriating. It had seemed the more familiar he got with her, he was inventing new ways to send her into a fluster more often than not.

She spun around, jabbing a finger lightly into his chest, scowling as ferociously as she could at him, “Are you trying to scare me, or flirt with me, Cloud?”

The corners of his mouth twitched, “Whatever suits your narrative.”

She stuck out her tongue, “You exasperate me sometimes, Mister.”

He cocked an eyebrow, “Is that a good thing?”

She licked her lips – he had caught the gesture with his eyes, and it inflamed every vein running through his body. “Where were you, anyway? I thought I saw you earlier.”

He slid his hands in his pockets, looking slightly sheepish, “Uh, Godo caught hold of me and wouldn’t let me go.”

She giggled, “Bet he’s starstruck even by you, star player.”

He shrugged his shoulders, “I can’t see him the same way now that I keep thinking of him as Yuffie’s father.”

Her giggles intensified, “Oh you.”

And it was then under the moonlight did she thoroughly scrutinise him from head to toe, causing him to shift uncomfortably under her penetrating gaze.

“Um, what are you doing, Aerith?” He mumbled. Suddenly self-conscious, he had turned his attention to his polished shoes.

“Thinking how dapper you look in a suit,” she was winking, knowing it had the intended effect on him – him shuffling his feet in a fluster, trying his hardest to scowl, all this while fighting the boyish blush flooding his cheeks.

She then took a step closer to him, eyes suddenly huge, “Wait a minute, Cloud…How did you get in earlier? I thought outside guests weren’t allowed into the event until it was over. You were supposed to wait with Fenrir at the lobby. Did you…sneak in?”

He had the cheek to smirk. “Yep.”

“…How did you…?” She stared at him in wonder before shaking her head with a laugh bubbling from her throat, “Oh why did I ask. You’re MVP of the year. Surely Godo would be delighted to welcome you here with open arms. Bet you don’t even need an invitation to walk in here empty-handed.”

He nodded, “Yep.”

Behind them in the ballroom, the revelry was dying down. Most of the attendees had moved to the viewing platform on the other end of the resort Godo had prepared for his guests. They were all eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jenova.

“Do you…want to go over?” Cloud asked.

“No,” she shook her head, “Here’s fine. I think we’ll get a good view of it, anyway. Besides it’s too crowded over there.”

“Yep,” he agreed. Crowds weren’t his thing. Here on this balcony alone with Aerith was more to his liking. Hell, anywhere alone with her would suffice.

He followed her gaze and stared skywards. “Think it’ll show up?”

“Who knows? It’s supposed to happen anytime now. At midnight, they say.”

The air turned frostier as the hour ticked towards midnight. A passing zephyr momentarily chilled her bones. Aerith had instinctively brought her palms to rub against her shoulders – her red gown exposing her bare arms wasn’t doing much to shield her from the night’s low temperature.

Cloud flicked his eyes towards her. In an instant, he had rid himself of his tux jacket and draped them around her shoulders.

She looked at him, an entire galaxy in those green pools touching his universe in one shot. Both hearts melted, there and then.

“You’re cold,” he answered her questioning gaze, looking away, not bearing the way the longer their gazes held, the redder his blushes had fused to his cheeks.

“Thank you,” she smiled – that single smile of hers making him realize the considerable effort he needed to quell the temptation to pull her into his arms right away.

Yet the night winds hadn’t been merciful this evening. As they continued to play with the loose strands of her shimmering hair, he noticed in spite of the additional layer his jacket had provided, she was still trying to fight the shivers shaking her dainty figure.

He sighed, and before he could think through his actions, his limbs had acted quicker than his mind.

_Damn self-control._

He pressed himself to her back, encircling his arms around her small waist. The sharp intake of her breath was not lost upon him.

He fought a smirk – he really ought to tease her more often.

Her body had responded to his touch instantaneously, her back leaning into his strong chest. He sensed her relaxing against him, and he tightened his hold on her, coming to gently rest his jaw against the softness of her hair set in tousled waves.

“Still cold?” His voice sounded nearly a rasp against her ear.

“Better,” she replied, smiling all the while, body curving into the circle of his arms like she fitted there.

When he held her fastened against him like this, he had shut his eyes, savouring the soft curves of her body beneath him. Her eyelids, too, had fluttered close, feeling something warm and deep build inside of her, heat piercing her cheeks when he was so close.

She hadn’t lied. It was true. When he held her like this, she was no longer cold.

…And in a heartbeat, the heavens lit up the night sky with its own brand of magic.

The universe had never timed it better.

Through the inky black came a blaze of brilliant blue, moving through the stars with a boldness enough to light up the world, enchanting everything in its wake with its transient beauty, gracing a sleepless Gaia below with its magnificent streaks.

Aerith held her breath. Behind her, she had heard Cloud staggeringly draw in air, too.

The comet dashed the night sky with glitter, traveling across in its ethereal blue, moving like a trail of midwinter-white over the sky with its long tail of icy particles. 

“It’s…” the words dissolved in her throat as her gaze was left caught between the blankets of indigo sky above.

Just as quickly Jenova had scorched the sky, it had disappeared into the beauty of its surrounding blackness, leaving without a miniscule trace. Yet all those who had borne witness to this stunning event now felt a part of this celestial miracle.

“It’s beautiful,” she finished in a whisper, eyes still wide with astoundment as they watched the remnants of constellations hanging above.

His eyes lowered to her radiant face, as stellar as the night. He had just witnessed a passing comet come to life. In his arms, he, too, held an entire universe bearing his sun, moon and stars.

“Yep.” Her staggering beauty left him almost croaking.

She turned around in his arms, her face glowing with ribbons of starshine ,“What did you wish for, Cloud?”

“Uh,” he looked stupefied. He been so enraptured by the comet; by her, that he had scarcely thought of anything else, much less made a wish, “…What did _you_ wish for?”

“Hmm, wouldn’t come true if I told you,” a secretive smile splayed across her lips.

He hid his smile into the lustre of her hair. His arms remained snug around her, “…I might have an idea.”

“Oh, whizzy, telepathic one,” She arched a teasing eyebrow at him, “Pray tell, what might that be?”

He fought for breath. By the stars and the heavens, he was bloody in love with an angel. Halo or no – she wore it everywhere he saw, invisible to all naked eye saved for his.

“Wouldn’t come true if I’d guessed right, huh?” He actually smirked.

Her eyes shone, even as he received a light ribbing in the stomach by her elbow. “Since you already know, oh clever Mister, do you think _you_ can make my wish come true?”

She had turned around to face him, arms reaching out to clasp round his neck. It made thinking very, very difficult for him.

“Hn,” he pretended to scoff hard, “Depends. What’s in it for me?”

“Well, for starters,” she tip-toed, stealing the oxygen from his breaths, “This.”

She leant in to kiss him on the jaw. Then pulled away.

He was flushing under her gaze; under starshine, even as the corners of his lips curled as he touched a finger to them gingerly.

“Good enough for you?” She murmured, her voice tickling the nape of his neck, numbing his heart, his soul; everywhere.

His brains had somewhat recovered from the pit of mush they had momentarily plummeted in. He cleared his throat, recovering his composure in time to drag her impossibly closer to his chest until the distance between them became negligible.

Their gazes locked. Neither could look away. Time suspended mid-air amidst starshine.

His muscled frame above her went still, and he reached out a hand to slowly smooth a tendril of amber hair from her eyes. His touch was gentle, yet overpowering for her defenses.

“Unfortunately,” his voice was low; husky, as he glimpsed the galaxies beneath her eyelids and fell in love with the colours in them all over again, “not quite enough.”

Hypnotized by the enrapturing spell binding them together, he could no longer resist the allure of her exquisite beauty radiating so much light around him.

He leant closer, until his face was inches away from hers.

And when she closed her eyes to tip-toe to his height, every last fortress within his soul chipped away. “You can be _so_ demanding, Mister.”

He smiled against her breath.

Under starshine, his mouth descended, and held hers captive.

When she had kissed him back, slanting her mouth into his, drawing them both into a questing intensity that vanquished all thought, sense and reason, Cloud dimly realized that he hadn’t lied. A lifetime of kisses; of forevers with Aerith would never be enough.

As he plunged his fingers into her hair and drew her closer, and closer, letting the heat flare between them and spiral into the velvety sky, joy and love rose like soaring comet, melding sky-bound with the endless constellations.

What would one who had everything wished for upon a falling star?

Cloud had everything he’d ever wanted; could have dreamt of. Happiness…was with her. Wherever she went, he would follow, until the sun burnt in the sky, until the oceans ran dry, until the ends of time.

She was _home –_ everywhere he’d never been, and all at once.

As the stars hung above them, rewritten in its patterns of white light by the hands of Fate, Cloud finally knew what happily ever after looked like.

It looked a lot like Aerith –

…no, it looked _everything_ like her.

**FIN**

_Maybe, we just found forever at the wrong time,  
and, someday, time  
will pull us back  
together  
again. _

_\- anon._

* * *

(my final and very long) A/N:

Omg. We made it. 27 chapters guys. The stars rewritten for Clerith. Sobs.

At this point my fingers hurt so bad you have no idea; I have to be put on emotional and physical therapy for the next few days at least lol.

Anyway I hope the ending suffices ; ) Now here’s the getting down to boring business part… ahem.

THANK YOU all you crazy, friggin’ amazing readers who’ve been with this fic since the dawn of Chapter One. Like seriously, 27 chapters? It’s either I’m mad, or you guys are too fuckin’ awesome for my own good. I don’t deserve you guys.

In all honesty, writing this fic had been fairly crazy because of the changing world outside (you know, covid and all) – and coming home to work on my fic after a long day became like therapy. Interacting with you lot made my bleary week a hell lot better, and kept me going when the going got tough.

That aside, I believe we Clerith shippers are a most hardy lot. The FF7 ship wars won’t ever die, but if you’re like me and have been here since OG when we had SO LITTLE material to work with and were SWARMED with Cloti/anti-Clerith fans EVERYWHERE, then you’ll know nothing fazes us anymore at this point lol. We’re ready for whatever Remake 2 throws at us – whether Aerith lives, or not.

Sending much hugs, love and xx… and of course, a very Merry Christmas in advance and happy holidays! : ) I truly hope despite travels stalling worldwide, that you guys wherever you are get a chance to have a restful break anyhow xx

Myst-san


End file.
